Criticism, result of clash of ideas: Goh

Criticism, result of clash of ideas: Goh

SINGAPORE (AFP): Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong has described criticism of Singapore by Western commentators as the outcome of a contest of ideas between the east and the west, and he justified limits on press freedom.

Goh said at the 150th anniversary celebrations of The Straits Times, East Asia's oldest newspaper, that this affluent island state was an enigma to many Western press commentators.

"Outwardly we are westernized. But the way we do things does not fit neatly into their conception of what a modern state should be," the 54-year-old premier said on Saturday night.

Western commentators found it difficult to accept that while many societies aspired for the material well-being of the West, not all wished to share Western cultural and societal norms and values, he said.

"As a result, the way Singapore is governed is often ridiculed and attacked," said Goh.

Singapore, which has been involved in well-publicized feuds and court battles with some Western media organizations, has a strict code of conduct for the press.