Astro blasted over Chinese shows

Astro blasted over Chinese shows

KUALA LUMPUR (AP): Malaysia's largest cable television operator is being accused of undermining national culture by showing Chinese-language programs from Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Local press took up the issue on Sunday, with several papers suggesting that the popular satellite station Astro should overhaul its programming to keep foreign influence out.

The Mingguan Malaysia newspaper accused Astro of not caring about "national values, culture and aspirations," and said that foreign shows would distract Malaysians from more important local issues.

The controversy began last week, when local news media quoted community leaders and other prominent figures as saying that many Astro shows focused excessively on the culture, politics and entertainment of Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad reportedly suggested an investigation be conducted into whether these foreign shows actually influence the people.