Mr cheongs book, ob markers, was published in january 20. As editorinchief of the straits times group, cheong yip seng occupied the hottest of hot seats in singapore media under three. From the very first chapter of this book to the last, it is full of detailed and astonishing revelations about the mainstream media in singapore. Tjongs thinking was that streats would distract today, thus giving st more room to continue to rule the roost. My straits times story cheong had previously emailed pm lee to persuade him not to select warren. My straits times story, in which he recounts his many runins with prime minister lee and his successors. Tom plate, distinguished scholar of asia and pacific studies at loyola marymount university and awardwinning career us journalist here is the inside story that media. Cheong genuinely believed that being pro government was nothing to be ashamed of. I read it yesterday evening and closed the book with mixed feelings.
It was established on 15 july 1845 as the straits times and singapore journal of commerce. Cheong yip sengs memoir is much more than just a deepbackground offthe record of lee kuan yews years as singapores no. National no collusion day the ricebowl singapore trs. The language and the tone that was used in the decade building up to ge 2011 was one of deference to foreign nationals. Jun 18, 2019 in 20, cheong yip seng, former chief editor at the straits times st, dropped a proverbial bomb on singapores media landscape. He will be succeeded by mr patrick daniel, 52, the current managing editor of emnd. Under lee kuan yew, the press was only as free as it needed. Most just went with it as media was used by the government to reach out to the masses. The art of reporting according to cheong yip seng yip seng cheong on.
In his book, mr balji, who has worked for 40 years in five newsrooms, talks of his experiences and the highs and lows, covering his stints at the. White ceramic cup approx 9cm high x 26cm circumference printed area is approx 8cm high x 20cm circumference holds approx 300ml10 floz. The straits times is an englishlanguage daily broadsheet newspaper based in singapore currently owned by singapore press holdings. My straits times story, former singapore press holdings editor in chief cheong yip seng documented the evershifting markers of what is considered ob, or out of bounds, by authorities. Cheong yip sengs memoir is much more than just a deep backgroundofft. Indirectly, cheong yip sengs my straits times story is invaluable in helping to explain the dominance of one political party through its symbiotic relationship to all the mainstream print media in our country. Exstraits times editor reveals govt meddling in tellall. Old mans daughter vs devan nairs son sams alfresco coffee. One of them was cheong yip seng, the former chief editor of the straits times. Coverage of sensitive socioeconomic and political topics has typically been less restricted online.
In 20, cheong yip seng, former chief editor at the straits times st, dropped a proverbial bomb on singapores media landscape. My straits times story by cheong yip seng goodreads. Cheong s book should make us more circumspect in the things we say. Cheong yip seng, the former editorinchief of the straits times, during a talk on his recent book ob markers, emphasized that mainstream media remain supporting the paps government. Cheong yip seng has written a book on the outbound markers in. Jul 03, 2019 mr baljis book exposed more details about the relationship between the government and mainstream media and ms henson compared the book to cheong yip sengs ob marker, my straits times story. When cheong yip sengs book, ob markers was published, janadas devon complained to me that cheong was sly, that he posted by lee wei ling on friday, 1 april 2016 advertisement. After that unsettling start as sts senior leader and feature writer, his bosses singapore press holdings executive chairman lim kim san and editorinchief cheong yip seng chose mr han, for.
He does not expect the current government resorting to the. Cheong is a battlehardened journalist, having risen up the ranks in the straits times with a staying power that lasted 43 years, 19 of them as the editorinchief. Singapore press holdings claims that the print and digital editions of the newspaper the straits times and the sunday times have a daily average circulation of 383,600. Janadas devan accuses st editor of being sly lee kuan yew. Editorinchief cheong yip seng retires, to be succeeded by patrick daniel singapore, 12 october 2006 mr cheong yip seng, editorinchief of the english and malay newspapers division emnd of singapore press holdings, will retire on 31 december 2006, after 43 years of service, the media group announced today. Cheong yip seng, former editorinchief of the straits times group and author of ob markers. Mar 26, 2015 cheong yip seng is a former editorinchief of singapore press holdings english and malay newspapers division. Lee kuan yew made journalists look behind their backs. The more interesting news the past few days was the launch of the book ob markers. Four new titles to be published by book publishing subsidiary of singapore press holdings singapore, 19 october, 2012 straits times press, a whollyowned subsidiary of singapore press holdings sph, launched a new book today titled ob markers my straits times story. Dec 07, 2012 but cheong yip seng, the former editorinchief of the the straits times st, has bucked this trend with his memoir, ob markers. Ob markers by yip seng cheong, 9789814342339, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. The singapore media as seen through the eyes of a veteran journalist, it is the late singapore prime minister lee kuan yew.
Singapore, 12 october 2006 mr cheong yip seng, editorinchief of the english and malay newspapers division emnd of singapore press holdings, will retire on 31 december 2006, after 43 years of service, the media group announced today. Veteran singaporean newspaper editor pn balji on press. When mr cheong yip seng, the former editorinchief of the singapore press holdings english and malay language news division, wrote his ob markers my straits times story in 2012, i read it from start to end in more or less one sitting. Cheong had been chief editor for nineteen years, but instead of.
Exst editor han fook kwang compiles his best columns in new book. After that unsettling start as sts senior leader and feature writer, his bosses singapore press holdings executive chairman lim kim san and editorinchief cheong yip seng. My straits times story by cheong yip seng, former editorinchief of the singapore press holdings. Ob markers my straits times story by cheong yip seng. The writers account of newsroom life in precomputer days should interest news junkies and those who care about the media industry.
There were many journalists who were penalised by him because he didnt like what they wroteand that made a lot of people frightened. Discover book depositorys huge selection of yip seng cheong books online. Mr baljis book exposed more details about the relationship between the government and mainstream media and ms henson compared the book to cheong yip. Cheong yip sengs memoir is much more than just a deepbackground offtherecord of lee kuan yews years as singapores no. Singapore democratic party perspective perspective. Comparing it to cheong yip sengs ob marker which was published in 2012, ms henson said where cheong tries to explain, balji merely reports. Workers party jb jeyaratnam told the rally that mr tang lian hong had made police reports against lky and 10 other pap politicians. While the argument put forth in the oped about economic displacement is not wrong, it is not the whole story. Straits times editorinchief cheong yip seng found ob markers bewildering, stating that topics deemed offlimits during his tenure included stories about a stamp dealer, carpet auctions, monosodium glutamate, feng shui and unflattering pictures of politicians. In a move likely to boost the book sales of ob markers, former straits times editorinchief cheong yip sengs almost tellall book about the st and politicians, lwl dismissed a rumour that lky. Exstraits times editor reveals govt meddling in tellall book.
Singapore if there is one central figure that looms large in veteran journalist pn baljis new book reluctant editor. Former today and tnp editor pn balji launches tellall book. But it was a book by former straits times editorinchief cheong yip seng, ob. The contents of the report was supposed to be confidential but then editorinchief cheong yip seng asked balji to obtain the report from the police and publish it. As prime minister, lee kuan yew was the chief architect of the singapores media policy. Not by virtue of his position as editorinchief of the singapore press holdings english and malay language newspapers division, but as a consummate professional. Yip seng cheong here is the inside story that media insiders have been waiting for. His belief that easy reading is damn hard writing changed journalistic. It is a chronological and sensitive explationation of how the republics newspaper of record was shaped by mr lee and, more important, why he took it upon himself to do so. It is an incredible resource for those trying to understand the control of the.
Cheong yip seng, singapore ambassador to chile and former editorinchief of the english and malay. Jun 12, 2016 after that unsettling start as sts senior leader and feature writer, his bosses singapore press holdings executive chairman lim kim san and editorinchief cheong yip seng chose mr han, for. Cheong yip seng, editor of the straits times from 1987 to 2006, published memoirs titled ob marker. Balji very proud of his time steering the new paper. Singapore is done with handling the press by grabbing it by the throat as it used to do in the knuckleduster days of the 1970s, according to the straits timess former editor cheong yip seng. If lee kuan yew believed that you were not out to subvert the government, i. Sphs cheong yip seng, then editorinchief of its english and malay newspapers, was against ceo tjong yik mins plan to introduce streats as a spoiler. Balji quotes a media watcher in a later chapter to describe the attitude of cheong yip seng, an ex editorinchief of the straits times.
Former st chief editor cheong yip seng fields questions on the singapore media at the launch of his new book, ob markers my straits times story. In a move likely to boost the book sales of ob markers, former straits times editorinchief cheong yip seng s almost tellall book about the st and politicians, lwl dismissed a rumour that lky. Oct 03, 2019 most just went with it as media was used by the government to reach out to the masses. It is an incredible resource for those trying to understand the control of the media and singapores brand of selfcensorship. Spore press gang days over, says exst editor uppercaise. Editorinchief cheong yip seng retires, to be succeeded. Exstraits times heavyweight bertha henson is considering. Lee kuan yew, prime minister of singapore from 1959 to 1990 had this to say about cheong and his book. Background wong, meng cheong was born on december 22, 1957 in london. Written by cheong yip seng, a former editorinchief of the english and malay newspapers division at sph, this book is the. Oct 20, 2012 cheong yip seng was the man who brought me into journalism, and to this day, i have always considered him the top newsman in singapore. Jun 14, 2019 but it was a book by former straits times editorinchief cheong yip seng, ob markers, that inspired mr balji to finally work on his own book. From strikes by journalists in the 1960s that won them a fiveday week to the merger of the chinese newspapers in the 1980s, and the day the peoples action party lost its absolute dominance of parliament in 1981, former straits times editor cheong yip seng has given an insiders account of governmentmedia relations in a new book launched yesterday. Education bachelor of medicine, bachelor of surgery, university western australia, 1980.
Cheong yip seng his played such a significant role in the evolution of serious journalism that media historians will regard him as a key figure. The paper had to be attractive to advertisers extract. Today it appears that the pap is afraid that berthas confession and my statement in response are likely to cause a seismic shift in public perception and are moving to shut it down. The straits times story by former sph editorinchief cheong yip seng. Cheong yip seng has written of singapores travails through merger, then. Written by cheong yip seng, a former editorinchief of the english and malay newspapers division at sph, this book is the first of four new titles that the publisher will be launching from now till 10 november. Its a collection of anecdotes grouped under various themes, with his runins with the g as well as with the corporate men being a dominant thread, write ms henson. Jun 15, 2019 one of them was cheong yip seng, the former chief editor of the straits times.
Drawing on unique personal experience, this book is essential reading for anyone wanting to understand recent events and future prospects in this vital region of the world. Indirectly, cheong yip seng s my straits times story is invaluable in helping to explain the dominance of one political party through its symbiotic relationship to all the mainstream print media in our country. Out of bounds markers often refer to the line between which issues are sensitive and which are not. It is a chronological and sensitive explanation of how the republics newspaper of record was shaped by mr lee and, more important, why he took it upon himself to do so. I havent read the book, but it should prove very juicy going by what ms bertha henson, a former editor herself, wrote on her blog. Pn baljis reluctant editor is a mustread to understand. Apr 03, 2016 dr lee wei ling, daughter of singapores founding prime minister lee kuan yew recounted an incident in her facebook about revolving around the publication of a book by the former editor of the straits times, mr cheong yip seng. Bertha henson is still considering writing a book of her. The book begins with an account of how cheong was appointed to his job as editorinchief of the straits times in 1986. My straits times story by former straits times editor cheong yip seng as his inspiration. The power of control see cheong yip sengs book ob markers meant that the local media sold the argument. His reporting instincts are evident in the book when he describes incidents with dramatic flourish, especially his first taste of lees distaste for media practitioners. Cheong yip seng s memoir is much more than just a deepbackground offtherecord of lee kuan yews years as singapores no. Jun 14, 2019 in his book, mr balji, who has worked for 40 years in five newsrooms, talks of his experiences and the highs and lows, covering his stints at the singapore press holdings malay mail, new nation.
During his career, mr balji also helmed new nation, tnp and. Exst editor han fook kwang compiles his best columns in. Indirectly, cheong yip seng s my straits times story is invaluable in helping to explain the dominance of one political. Mar 22, 2016 while the argument put forth in the oped about economic displacement is not wrong, it is not the whole story. He was chief editor of the straits times, the most profitable newspaper in the world. Reviewed in the united states on september 28, 2014. The last great strike by clement mesenas overdrive. He expanded the coverage of national politics, setting up a political desk in the early 1980s. Long story short, that was the job cheong yip seng had. Cheong yip sengs memoir is much more than just a deepbackgroundofftherecord of lee kuan yews years as singapores no. Indirectly, cheong yip sengs my straits times story is invaluable in helping to explain the dominance of one political. Under lee kuan yew, the press was only as free as it. Apr 02, 2016 when cheong yip sengs book, ob markers was published, janadas devon complained to me that cheong was sly, that he posted by lee wei ling on friday, 1 april 2016 advertisement. It is a chronological and sensitive explationation of how the republics newspaper of record was shaped by mr lee and, more important, why he.
While cheong yip sengs historical accounts of his time at the straits times and governments intervention into the press especially the accounts featuring lee kuan yew are valuable to the singapore story, the book was written in an immensely slow and repetitive way and was a poor read. Cheong yip seng is a former editorinchief of singapore press holdings english and malay newspapers division. Straits times press launches ob markers my straits times story by cheong yip seng. But it was a book by former straits times editorinchief cheong yip seng, ob markers, that inspired mr balji to finally work on his own book. Dr lee wei ling, daughter of singapores founding prime minister lee kuan yew recounted an incident in her facebook about revolving around the publication of a book by the former editor of the straits times, mr cheong yip seng. Four new titles to be published by book publishing subsidiary of. Apr 23, 2019 and when asked why he had chosen to write his book more than 10 years after leaving the mainstream media, balji pointed to ob markers. Janadas devan accuses st editor of being sly lee kuan. Right from the very first chapter, to the last, it is full of detailed revelations about the mainstream media in singapore. While cheong yip seng s historical accounts of his time at the straits times and governments intervention into the press especially the accounts featuring lee kuan yew are valuable to the singapore story, the book was written in an immensely slow and repetitive way and was a poor read. Cheong yip seng was the man who brought me into journalism, and to this day, i have always considered him the top newsman in singapore. Cheong yip seng the singapore lgbt encyclopaedia wiki.