The journalist who wrote to PM Lee of dismissal by SPH

robertteh SG

Still remember the journalist who wrote a long letter to PM Lee to complain about his unfair dismissal on account of an article he wrote which the special editor refused to publish.

He pleaded how being an international renown journalist he was summarily dismissed by his superial special editor on account of an unfavorable article he drafted for publication and how he was overruled by a less experienced editor.

He pleaded with PM Lee was his explanation which showed that the special editor was being over-sensitive about his views in that article.

It appeared that our press is totally overshadowed and controlled by the authority vested in that special editor. There was no news that that journalist was subsequently given a fair hearing by the PM. It is not known if he was reinstated or compensated for such treatment through a proper hearing.

No wonder none of the 10 journalists having dialogue with MM Lee dared to counter the vehement points made by MM Lee about Singaporeans' fears to speak up on their views about government.

reyes SG

we all knows media are bias and controlled. need we say more.
the only news unbias that can come out from our SPH is EPL, la Liga, 4D, toto.
sad state of democracy. i think we should rank behind china.

king108 SG

Laughing Chinese saying "eat bowl of mee, never turn the bowl upside down"..(sigh)

robertteh SG

If you are to read all the news carefully especially the forum letters, you will see one consistent pattern - very stereotyped and confined to certain topics. It will take a very courageous journalist like Lee Han Shih to write something critical about government mistake or HDB making heavy losses.

Alternative views about goodness of free flow of information by Michael Backman was challenged by a strong letter from MITa. Such view will not be published very often.

Once a one-off article was published of retired civil servant Mr. Ngiam Tong Dow view about success of Athenian system practising diversities of the people, as against the Spartan system of control and discipline.

But this was the only article ever published with no follow-through as apparently no one dared to follow up with more views on this subject. So even if once in a while we read of diverse views written about in election time such news will very soon dry up once the election is over. It is like opening a little crack in the window to let in a bit of flesh air and that window will be closed again.

miongisback SG

Robert

It has never been denied,
even by Government , that
our medias , especially Mediacorp and Straits Times,
are put on a leash - like obedient dogs.

What is puzzling is -

don't Singaporeans think this sort of thing is terrible?

If the answer is NO,
than how come
people at large never want to express their dissatifaction
to our iron-fisted government?

Could it be because many of us have become so accustomed
to being leashed and led by the nose,

that they have lost the will to disobey -
the commands of a few aging despots at
the top?

robertteh SG

Which is the reason why we need all the ordinary people like in the NKF saga to feel that urgent sense of duty to stand up to what is wrong or self-centred and demand changes - integrity of leadership, accountability and transparency of government, checks and balances, protection of rule of laws and constitutional rights of citizens versus powerful legalistic gerrymandering of laws and judiciary administration to suit narrow party line.

Thanks to the internet and blogs at least there is an increasing community spirit who can tell what is right and wrong which has become very blurred with each legalistic gerrymandering of our laws and administration.

Citizens may be regarded as docile or impotent but I truly believe they are not dead and at the right time they will make demands as in the recent NKF case.

miongisback SG

Robert

You know my foreign friends said if the national NFK scandal had happened
in their country, the minister-in-charge has to resign!

I told him, it wont happen here. Singaporeans mostly dont have a VOICE
to pressure the government to sack the minister!

He was surprised when I told him somone who
was rejected by the people in an election,

eventually got into Government, courtesy of GRC and no-contest,

and now becomes a Minister albeit not a popular one.

I believe he messed up the HDB by overbuilding,
and wasting public funds.

Dont you agree, we Singaporeans have alot still to learn
about individuality and democracy ?

LazerLordz SG

That's why the climate,system and culture, not to mention attitudes towards governance must change.But seeing how the majority loves being jacked time and time again, one has to wonder if it's worth all these in the end...

robertteh SG

If good men become our ministers, people today will know and they will be more accommodative and cooperative and be proud and willing to serve the nation in grass roots or in every field and endeavour.

Now are good people really happy to serve if they cannot do anything when people are so unhappy over dropping wages and high costs and unfairness which are even publicly acknowledged by leaders in election or estate upgrading.

Will ministers who are merely toeing the line in order to continue to receive their million-dollar salaries, be truly proud to serve? They probably have to keep avoiding mistakes or boos boos and pushing problems to the lower rungs or the contractors in Highway collapse or NKF.

Ito_^ SG

i rather read internation papers over local papers.

but cannot miss out local news oso.

so read both lor.

miongisback SG

Boycott Straits Times if you can. I seldom read Straits Times.
I prefer to surf the net for news.

You can get better, balance
news in BBC or CNN or other foreign news that believe
in telling the full truth and real democracy.

Let ST Times readership drop. Their advertisers will
move out.

With less revenue from advertisers ST will close shop.

Which will mean the end of PAP's number one propaganda
weapon,

- which will effectively make it tougher for PAP to whitewash
or hide any truth from us.

The stars reports is ok, but I hope other Malaysian press
would not interfere with our local politics. One Malaysian
newspaper is partly owned by Mahathir Mohd family.