S'pore, Malaysia media told to avoid un-neighborly articles
S'pore, Malaysia media told to avoid un-neighborly articles
SINGAPORE (Agencies): Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong urged
Singapore and Malaysian newspapers on Thursday to avoid printing
comments that could fuel disputes between the neighbors, who
often bicker over a range of issues.
"I would urge the Singapore newspapers, and also the Malaysian
newspapers, to be circumspect in their commentary of developments
in each other's country," Goh said on the sidelines of an Asia-
Pacific education conference. His comments were broadcast on
Singapore's Channel NewsAsia.
A recent commentary in Singapore's daily The Straits Times
referred to Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad as Malaysia's "top
dog," or "leader," in Western slang.
The expression "dog" is considered insulting in a mainly
Muslim country.
Goh said he was surprised that the Malaysian government issued
a formal protest over the Straits Times column.
"That is not the way to handle such an issue," he said.
Goh said his government did not agree with the column's
contents, but that the best way to tackle such a problem was to
write a letter of protest to the newspaper itself, which would
then hopefully publish the letter.
"That's the approach that we prefer," he said.
Goh said on Thursday he did not believe in "Malaysia-bashing"
and saw no benefits in an ongoing media war.
"I don't believe, and nor does the Singapore government, in
Malaysia bashing or in putting down Dr. Mahathir," Goh said,
referring to the Malaysia's prime minister.
Speaking on the sidelines of a meeting of education ministers
of the 21-nation Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum
here, Goh said Singapore and Malaysia had very close inter-
related relations.
"We are an important investor in Malaysia," he said.
"A stable Malaysia, a prosperous Malaysia under a strong leader
is a fundamental interest of Singapore."
Goh said Singapore and Malaysia had nothing to gain from a media
war.
"There are so many negative articles in Singapore, in
Malaysian newspapers," he said.
Mahathir later appeared play down the dispute over the
article, which singled out Malaysia as the only Asian country
which had not had a change of leadership in the past decade.
He said the Singapore media was "free to comment on other
countries" and the Malaysian government did not "take any notice
of such things."
Relations have often been prickly between the neighbors since
Singapore was ejected from the Malaysian federation in 1965, and
Malaysia's Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar told the Singapore
media on Monday to stop churning out untrue stories about his
country.