UPDATE to RIP: Sarawak Tribune (3)

This UPDATE is done in ala-jeffooi class, where Desiderata will intercept the points and give his not-so-amazing rebutts to that Amazing Guy at ST!

From The Sunday Star, page 2,
Sunday February 12, 2006

IMPORTANT NOTE, so that they know who the real culprit is, if there is/was one or none. Th newspaper reporting the news development -- The Star -- and the subject -- Sarawak Tribune -- have no inputs whatsoever in the rebutts. Only Desi's beesybody's, nobody else's.



Sarawak needs new English daily, says top Tribune exec

KUCHING: Sarawak needs a new English daily to channel honest, accurate and true information to the public, said the editorial chairman of the suspended Sarawak Tribune, Datuk Idris Buang.
(DESIDERATA: Implying that the present media are NOT able to deliver the honest, accurate and true information?)

“Sarawak Tribune was a people-friendly newspaper and we were doing very well before the suspension. But we may not bring it back again.

(DESIDERATA: 'people-friendly', which is a positive trait; 'doing very well', another positive indicator; may not bring it back -- "Why not?" Some CONtradiction here, my most honouable speaker? because why do you want to throw away a 'people-friendly' and 'doing very well' product?
But Desi sees a ray of HOPE here -- 'may' not is just a possibility, did The Star use the word wrong -- a day ago Idris was adamant the paper is put to R.I.P. as in an orbituary, no?

“So, I hope a new English newspaper would come up and take the role as a people and government-friendly newspaper and make information available to the people,” Bernama reported him as telling reporters here yesterday after attending the Excellent Sarawak campaign launched by Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Alfred Jabu.

(DESIDERATA: Oh, I see, you have added 'government-friendly" to 'people-friendly'! Now I see what's the deal, do I smell a rat -- or RATionale. Whatever!

Idris, however, ruled out the prospects of The Sarawak Press Sdn Bhd, the publisher of the Tribune, of coming up with a new English daily.

(DESIDERATA: Hey, a suspension means "stop for a temporary period". The possibility that when the "suspension" order is lifted, Sarawak Tribune can Rise If Possible, yes? OR is Desi's engrund not so goode he didmn't catch it? HOwsy, please help!

The Government suspended the 61-year-old Sarawak Tribune for an indefinite period for reproducing caricatures that were offensive to Muslims in its Feb 4 issue.

The board of directors of Sarawak Press decided to shut down the daily even if the suspension order was lifted.

(DESIDERATA: Wow, with such bosses, would the journalists and supporting staff at ST need any enemies?)

~~~~~~~
This blessed Sunday in FuRong, my mind goes back to Max Ehrmann's -- is there some resonance to the hAPpening in Catsville?


"GO PLACIDLY AMID THE NOISE AND THE HASTE
AND REMEMBER WHAT peAce THERE MAY BE IN silence..."



Next, I'm reproducing Joe.Psc's comments posted yesterday. IHe is a discerning one; often he echjoes my thoughts -- eerie, yet resembles a light in Da Darkness. Thinking allowed, Mayhaps I can CO-OPT this JP as my Night-Editor/tress?

"At 2:50 AM, JOE.PSC said...

Hi Desi,

Based on Howsy's info and link, my suspicion will materialise. A new daily will conveniently fill the vacancy created and the senior ex-ST officers will soon be re-deployed (thus their singing of a different tune would be necessary to pave the way for that), but the 300 others will depend on their past "friendly" attitude (and, of course, the employment restrictions on race-ratio).

The caricatures came in as a handy tool to get rid of a "sand in the eye" (eye-mo couldn't do that, a political surgery was needed). I still wonder which board of directors/shareholders would want to give up a profitable business of 61-year standing? LOL Every businessman would know the goodwill value of ST alone. Could some wrestling armlocks have taken place in the backstage to induce a "surrender"? Looks like script "directors" are on their way to receiving chap-ngoh-mei angpows! Make it a big celebration, will you, and for each mouthful of delicacy, remember that many are dying of hunger.


ST's editorial chairman, Datuk Idris Buang, was quoted by Bernama.com saying:

"...Sarawak was in need of an English newspaper as a proper channel to deliver honest, accurate and true information to the public.."

"Sarawak Tribune was a people-friendly newspaper and we were doing very well before the suspension. But we may not bring it back again"

"So, I hope a newborn English newspaper would come up and take the role as a people and government-friendly newspaper and make information available to the people"

My questions of curiosity:

Wasn't ST considered a proper channel that delivered honest, accurate and true information to the people all those donkey years? If there was implication that ST failed doing that, then what had the editorial chairman done to bring ST back on the right track?

He described ST as people-friendly, NO MENtion of being government-friendly - So was that the motive for all the caricature hoo-hah?

Strangely, he hoped for the 'newborn' paper to be (both) people and government-friendly - I couldn't help noticing the implication that closure of ST had something or everything to do with that 'important relationship', and that ST was 'too honest' in reporting.

It's noteworthy to remember "never bite the hand that feeds you", butt, when the mind is politically inclined, that saying can become a double-edged knife."

~~~~~~~ends UPDATE AT 1.20PM,
Sundae,February 12, 2006
also Chap Go (or Cum) Mei
Year of Man's Besta Friend
What a DaeOfRest&Recreation!