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by Annie Freeda Cruez
KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA - The Singapore media has sobered up its coverage of Malaysian politics after a bout of feverish reporting since the March 8 general election. The level-headed stand followed a call for objectivity by Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and a complaint of bias by Malaysian High Commissioner to Singapore Datuk N. Parameswaran.
Malaysian High Commission second secretary Azhan Mohamed Yasin said there were no more reports bearing lurid headlines of "turmoil" in Malaysia as exemplifed by the Today tabloid.
"They do publish some Malaysian reports but no specific mention of names, comments and reactions," he said.
He said no more slanted reports had appeared on Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, wife of Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
"After Parameswaran raised the issue with the paper concerned, there have been no more adverse reports. We are also thankful to the prime minister of Singapore for making his stand on the matter," said Azhan.
He said P.N. Balji, Today's editorial director, had replied to Parameswaran but declined to provide details.
In a letter sent out last week, Chen Hwai Liang, press secretary to Lee, said it was important for the Singapore media's reporting of political developments in other countries to be objective and factual.
It said it was unwise for Singapore media to take sides.
"Although developments in Malaysia affect Singapore, we must be disinterested external observers, not partisan participants in their domestic politics," it said.
Chen's letter was despatched after Today published an article "Under fire -- the First Lady-in-waiting" on June 27 which Parameswaran said had "vilified" Rosmah.
The high commissioner said newspapers in Singapore should "treat with much more circumspection allegations or innuendoes that clearly seek to damage the character and reputation" of important Malaysian personalities.
Today is a free newspaper in the stable of MediaCorp, a government-linked company.
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