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.