"Do you believe that the mainstream media is controlled, and is that why you're putting forward the proposal for these acts," asked Tanjong Pagar MP Indranee Rajah.
Indranee was asking Pritam Singh if he believes that the MSM is under the control of the govt. I think it is a fair question. Shanmugam also wanted to know and asked Pritam to answer, yes or no. Unfortunately Pritam was kind of half in and half out.
I think it is important that everyone should answer this question with a yes and no, including Indranee and Shanmugam.
I will take the first step by answering No. Just feel free to disagree with me. This is not a right or wrong answer. Just what you think. But if one’s answer is No, no further question. If one answers Yes, please explain.
No.
ReplyDeletehahaha/
Me does not think the MSM is government controlled. However, the people working in MSM simply just like to curry favour the Authority and flavour their works accordingly.
ReplyDeletepatriot
All politicians in liberal democracy try to control their MSM.
ReplyDeleteThe difference is that all their politicians have equal right to do so.
It will be perfect if PAP to allow Worker Party to influence the editiorial policies of TODAY.
PM LHL now has such offer by Chen Show Mao of WP.
Will he take up this offer and unique opportunity?
I think the quick answer is NO.
NO of course...since there's no protest outside SPH ;-)
ReplyDeleteNO.
ReplyDeleteDoes your right hand control your left hand?
I am so glad that there is so much wisdom in this blog. At the end of the day I will declare that 100% of all bloggers here believe that the MSM is not controlled by the govt.
ReplyDeleteSorry to break your 100% record, but I am going to opine that the MSM is being influenced strategically by the Government.
ReplyDeleteThere are rules set out by the Newspaper and Printing Presses Act which effectively gives the Government a great deal of power in the selection of top editors. Since news reporting can never be objective, who writes the newspaper will definitely influence the point of view being expressed.
Moreover, the Government has stressed repeatedly that MSM must support the Government's stance. I wonder how can the Government ensure this policy without resorting to some sort of pressurizing?
Lastly, one way of understanding the society is not by searching blindly for hard cold statistics. One needs to feel it, to understand it. The general feeling that I have gathered and from my personal experience of newspaper forum contribution point to the social reality that MSM is definitely not free.
Anyway, Pritam Singh's proposal is very clear, which is to push for "Information Freedom Act". I don't see how the PAP's questions are relevant.
Furthermore, Pritam Singh has not lost. He may have been made to looked bad in the Parliament by the concerted effort, but he has definitely gained many suppoters' attentions.
Rather than asking "Is MSM controlled by the govt" (of course it is not "controlled"), we should be asking "Is MSM free from the influence of the govt". I think your answer will be negative.
Well,it is clear that PAP will not allow people who are not align to PAP to control the Spore newspapers,and this fact was admitted by ex Nathan and quoted by MP Singh.
ReplyDeleteI am "not" absolutely sure that MSM is controlled by government, wink wink : )
ReplyDeleteBut i am quite sure MSM are penned by many FT, seeing so many of them on both chinese and english media.
What happen ?
Hsq.
This is a question touching on a moot point.
ReplyDeleteOf course the Government/PAP will say no, but ask any Ah Pek, Ah Soh, Ah Beng, Ah Liang or any opposition party guy or most people on the social media and the answer is as clear as the sun rising from the east.
Even my grandmother knows the answer.
I think the answer is clear to every Singaporean. But if anyone is going to say yes, he will have a big problem trying to prove his case. So let's all live with the No answer.
ReplyDeleteNo need to say yes and unable to prove it.
For those who stand on high pedestal and will look you straight in the eyes and say NO, you know what they are.
They are honest and with unquestionable integrity.
ReplyDeleteKidding me? The govt owns 80% of SPH..through indirect shares of a SWF. They have developed a very sophisticated techniques call "coercion". Remember, everything that Hitler did once upon a time was all "legal" under a nation of sheeps.
ReplyDeleteRead this and you'll get the inside scoop of their sophistry that even other dictating regimes like CCP china wants to copy..
ReplyDeletehttp://crosbiew.blogspot.com/2011/10/media-censorship-in-singapore-and-fiji.html
Dont know which smart Alex coined the word-Leegalised corruption.
ReplyDeleteThe most dangerous people are those that know a lie but waiting to sue you because they know you cannot prove it.
ReplyDeleteJust one question.
ReplyDeleteIf the MSM is not controlled by the Government, why are many publications critical of the Government forced to shut down in the earlier years if they do not tow the line?
"Dont know which smart Alex coined the word-Leegalised corruption", unquote.
ReplyDeleteIt was a honest spelling mistake of an additional e, we should not be reading too much into the mistake.
freudian slip or typing slip
ReplyDeleteSame question Low Thia Khiang asked - does GIC use CPF funds to invest? To which Dr Ng Eng Hen retorted "No".
ReplyDeleteThen he backtracked and said, "The relationship is not so simple. Let me give an example. You put money in a bank and you agree that you put it there and you get 2 per cent. The bank publishes a report and says of all its earnings, it earned 8 per cent. You go to the bank and say, "Iwant 8 per cent". It doesn't work." To which I say GIC is not bank. Go figure.
Anyway back to the article subject - if MP Singh said yes, he'd be sued. If he said no, then his speech is totally moot, so why is harping about it. This is the oft-used ploy of the PAP to trap opposition members.
I quite believe MP Singh is a smart guy to give half-baked answers. Ask the PAP leaders who give speeches. When asked a question, they either ask you back 10 other unrelated questions, or give you half-baked answers.
Well with the Wikileaks, we all know the truth. I'm sure it will set you free.
:)
Kaffein
Pritam should take full advantage of the immunity accorded to MPs in Parliament and say exactly what he believes.
ReplyDeleteWell,his big boss LKT was speechless in parliament when PM LHL asked him:do u think WKS should be sacked?
ReplyDeleteThe rest is history and the much delayed answerv was given by voters on on 8 May 2011.
Not only CCP wants to copy from PAP,the great Putin aactually practice what he leart.
ReplyDeleteOpposition guys are playing it smart now.
ReplyDeleteThey want to ask the pointed questions, let the PAP give it's side of the answer and leaving the interpretation to the people to form their own judgement on the issue, by not saying yes or no. Is that is not a smart move?
Well, here we are with all the valuable answers that the PAP cannot provide or are ashamed to admit.
If Minister Ng Eng Hen is ever asked whether there were/are white horses in National Service.
ReplyDeleteWhat will be his answer?
patriot
White horse,Minister NG just confirmed yesterday that the honest answer was NO.
ReplyDeleteI still say, well done Pritam!
ReplyDeleteKeep on asking the questions that your constituents and the rest of Singaporeans want to ask, but are unable to do so through the MSM.
Wasn't it so obvious when LTK said that in other private companies when CEO screw up their heads will roll. How much more plain do you have to spell it out to LHL? The PM was just playing daft, and tried to put LTK in the spot and ask him to play devil, and implicitly give LHL the permission to sack WKS because he doesn't want to look and play the bad guy...come on! He has no guts to do it like his father but always deflect and ask his generals to do it. He is using the reverse tactics of his father. LTK is smart enough to NOT give him that answer. He's probably thinking "If you weren't so stupid I could explain to you how stupid you are!!". Which he eventually did..via the elections by the people!!
ReplyDeleteI wish Dr. Ling How Doong was still an MP. He would surely ask the PAP, ministers or MPs, not to talk cock!
ReplyDeleteWell,I do not think that LTK could anticipate the TSUNAMI 2011,but he was smart enough to keep quite against the bait.and that is why he made history to be the first opposition to win GRC!
ReplyDeleteThe problem is that none of the Opposition Mp have the guts to tell them what they think - even our international lawyer CSM had to tell him indirectly that he is no threat to LHL.
ReplyDeletePrtiam Singh should say " Why is SR Nathan there in SPH".
This is one group that leart and applied their lessons well,extremly well.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, believed that all questions are submitted earlier, and maybe the MPs have already prepared the question in advance themselves, and just waiting for the moment to "trap" them.
ReplyDeleteIf they would asked me to place my hand in my heart, whether would I defend my country. I would tell them, why did you not give me the $9000 dollars.
ReplyDeleteDon't know how Singaporeans rate the integrity of the Leaders?
ReplyDeletethere's no immunity if you recall jb jeyaretnam was brought to a commission of inquiry when he refused to retract his words and apologize and later stripped of his MP position after he claimed that govt interferes with the judiciary.
ReplyDeleteIf LTK & company can play their game and beat them,why not?
ReplyDeleteIn time to come,when citizens are more knowledgeble,they will then become the laughing stock.
Hi cy, welcome to the blog.
ReplyDeleteYes you got a point there. I forgot about that incident.
As for the neutrality of the msm, well, ahem, ahem, I dunno what to say. I also say No lah, like everyone. We should be proud of our msm for their objectivity in reporting and news coverage.
Hahaha
ReplyDeleteLow and his WP colleagues are using the 'Tai Chi' stance in Parliament. Their new tactic is to question, try to avoid the deflection of being asked another question, and in the process create the element of doubt in the minds of Singaporeans. It creates awareness and wakes them up.
That should do the opposition a lot of good in 2016.
Yes, keep up the pressure. The ruling party's denials will not work going further down the road. Too much propaganda and mind control using the MSM has now the opposite effect of making the people skeptical and realised their folly over the years. The wheel is turning.
Clearly none of the WP MPs were prepared or come prepared to take on the aggressive MIW probably because none of them are good at verbal battle and therefore best stick to safe replies when challenged( most are only good at giving prepared speeches - which is no big deal really)
ReplyDeleteThink LKY on the other side. He would have kicked ass and with another similarly endowed mouth, it would have been a battle of convictions - which should be the case.
I don't see that kind of calibre over in the opposition camp to take on Goliath.
I think they are more afraid of bankrupty rather cthan an agreesive 88 years old MM LKY
ReplyDeletePAP knows their staff very well. Most come prepared to fight. Opposition like Chiam, or worse his wife, will be minced meat in parliament.
ReplyDeleteChiam is ok and competent but his wife is a problem,this is so called crony!
ReplyDeleteSo long as you get like minded people or those who share similar political philosophy or beliefs to run MSM, there is no need for overt direct control.
ReplyDeleteSo on that note, the smartass was half right and basically, PAP,being slimy, is very difficult to pin down unless you are a talented and fearless verbal boxer - and please, must be highly intelligent too
Oppos faired so badly in Sg is because we have people who think politicians like chiam is good
ReplyDeleteBut it was ex Nathan who was paid $50 millions of our money and then Dr Tony Tan who managed the MSM,so I think it is more than that!
ReplyDeletePrecisely, like minded people
ReplyDeleteYes,liked minded with a huge paid back tag!
ReplyDeleteSo we finally agreed.
6 against the rest is like walking into a snake pit. You expect debate? Please
ReplyDeleteYou can see it in their faces. Balls shrink...don't know how to reply? Reply also come out sounding or looking stupid
ReplyDeletethe only fierce one is the emperor. only the emperor got temper. the rest must be civil like a mouse lol
ReplyDeleteYou have to understand that answers from the ministers or MPs are prepared in advance to questions also given in advance. And there are civil servants doing all the research and drafting of replies for them to read in Parliament. Not fierce also act fierce.
ReplyDeleteOpposition MPs surely have no such resources and I am sure certain information are beyond their reach. So, how to debate with such a disadvantage? It is just like a boxer trying to fight an opponent with hands tied behind his back.
Give them a break to be fair!
"You have to understand that answers from the ministers or MPs are prepared in advance to questions also given in advance. And there are civil servants doing all the research and drafting of replies for them to read in Parliament. "
ReplyDeleteDon't waste time and tax payers monies. We are adults and there is therefore no need for them to read their script to us in parliament. MSM can have their scripts published and the oppo be given time to prepare their replies so that they wont be caught with their tongues stucked to the roof of their mouth.
You can't get more civil than that can you? Furthermore, why watch robots debate?
~Anonymous October 21, 2011 5:24 PM
ReplyDelete6 against the rest is like walking into a snake pit. You expect debate? Please~
The reality is even 8(9.2%),10 (11.5%),12 (13.8%) too. AND even they are from the same political party.
Agree....because you hv got the same kind of animals in the house
ReplyDeleteYes.
ReplyDeleteThere isnt a need to explain why yes. Just observe reality. Each to his own opinions and ... vote!