Actually whether an questioner in any interview is or is not
rude is a matter of perception. What some perceive as rude may be
perceived by others as being objective and accountable.
As you can read of the views of others here, Sebastian is not rude
at all but is asking good question of leaders who proclaimed to
achieve success to let the people see whether or not they do in
fact have that certain achievements of abilities.
So Journalists like Sebastian do show the ability to be good
journalists who could keep the public well informed of truths as
they dare to pose difficult questions which in our Asian
conservative society are often wrongly interpreted as rude. They
are just being objective and accountable to the public and they
know how to get to the truths and spread news and information to
benefit the public not the government.
Government has the whole government machinery, parliament and its
information system to take care of its own propagandas and views
and what it wants the public to read and believe. So the press does
not owe the government any particular duty to provide news and
information to please the government as often implicitly assumed by
MM Lee to be the case. He was over-sensitive to the reporting of
the press and has often tried to control the press to want it to
work to his interpretation of good reporting.
The press needs not owe any special duty to the government to be
objective and accurate in reporting news or government information
or performance. It does owe the public a duty to report on
efficiencies or correctness of government's policies or services
and in doing so it needs not ensure the press's reporting will be
accurate.
The government has its own machinery and information system to
correct any inaccurate news or reports of the press. The government
also has a duty to the people to inform them of their performance
accurately and objectively with accountability and
transparency.
This state of good corporate governance has not yet been achieved
owing to the autocracy of the past. The new government under PM Lee
should open up and be less constrained and be more ready to free up
the press freedom to provide accountable and accurate information
to the public through an independent press and media. The western
Europe has made tremendous progress in every sphere of society
because of the special role the free press has played which is not
constrained by our Asian conservatism which has impeded opening up
competitiveness of ideas and progress.
Let us hope the press here will be able to report news and
informations freely without curtailing the role of the press by the
government in due course.
To sniff out top news, journalists need not neccessarily
employed what Sebastian had resort to his interviewee using hard
tactics, cornering his guest and interrogate them like court room
affair. To achieve similar result, 'Soft technique' works equally
fine, if not better. Who knows one may get further invitation back
for another round of interview, because of the such professionalism
one's display.
Courtesy is two way and should generally be earned and not
enforced. Any enforced courtesy will lead to compromises of the
accountability of government which should be subjected close and
detailed scrutiny by citizens, NGO, Ombudsman, parliament, MPs and
active citizens and men in the street. Just be natural in the
interview and do not try to give an impression that leaders must be
regarded with an aura of respectability which may become rather
contrived and hypocritic. True courtesy or respect is from the
heart and not from any form of compulsion. If it is compelled it
will lead to abuse.
Sebastian's guest is of respectable figure and should be accord
with due respect not a 'criminal before the mighty judge'. May I
ask, what stake had Sebastian placed to question our nation's
policy, he is not even a Singaporean. He is no political leader, he
is just a journalist.
Media do not set agenda for a nation, instead, their role is
impartial. To deliver a responsible and neutral point of view to
the public. 
[/b]
Any guest is respectable only when that guest is objective,
effective, accountable and transparent and can answer difficult
questions posed with natural ability and facts. The leader has to
comprehend the questions and why he is being asked those question
and not perceive the questions or journalists in such an unnatural
manner and call them names like confrontational or rude.
The leaders who could overcome such Sebastian questions and emerge
as winners in fair ring side contest will be good leaders.
Good leaders would understand all the journalist and press role
without resort to contriteness or look-good presentation or
justifications which could not solve problems.
