Mr Zaqy Mohamad, chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Information, Communications and the Arts, said the improved ranking “underlines that our press remains credible especially in the face of challenges like the new media”.
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Zaqy, zaqy. I knew this guy in school. Now I guess our elitist education hasn’t had much benefit to one of us. Objectivity? Impartiality? Appreciation of substance over form? *sigh*
A 133rd ranking doesn’t go with the word “credible”, Mr Zaqy. No matter how you spin it.
Period.
133rd ranked for a presumably rich democratic country? I’m just flabbergasted!!!! Our MP singing praises for it’s “improved position”? I’m just so insulted!!!! If I’m from mainstream media, I would call for the journalists to commit harakiri for they have committed treason against the people. If only they can view TOC as part of mainstream media, I’m very certain our ranking will jump to the top!!!
I was just wondering…if our ministers are benchmarking their salaries against world class standards, why aren’t we benchmarking our position in this ranking too?
I did not see this MP since last election ? His performance is in doubt. He may be excluded in the next GE or kick out by RP come next election
Our press is not just credible but INCREDIBLE. Now they say Singapore is now better than US.
if the 133rd medias is so credible..why not published full news on ministers real earnins/directorships/leekuanyews’ famiLEE linked…
what is DARE to HIDE?
Well done local media. Great job from moving from the bottom pile of crab to a slightly higher level of crab STILL near the bottom! Well doen guys, now be good and go claim ur credit from the paymasters who tells you wat to write and wat not to write. be a good puppy. Woof woof..
You never win the silver, you lost the gold.
May I ask Zaqy, where do you find info that “underlines that our press remains credible especially in the face of challenges like the new media” Or did you assume or just think it up of it yourself? But i doubt people really feels that way?
Is it really an improved ranking when freedom house states that “the report shows a seventh straight year of decline in global media freedom, with twice as many losses than gains.” There may be an improvement, but blowing your own trumpet in such a way is embarrassing!
you know the saying “Its better be quiet and not let people know you are a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubts about you”
This aptly described Mr Zagy.
btw, who the heck is he?
Ya lor who cares about ranking…the importance is people at States Time got jobs
To people @ SPIN: “Never mind your poor ranking in Press Freedom Index. If you don’t have a job you get zero against those with jobs. So our first priority is jobs for everybody,”
This is what happen to your IQ when you sell your soul.
worst horse shit ever. His mind has been sold to PAP for $.
Sorry guys, all media is control by the PAP government. How to improve! Never rate to the bottom already very lucky. Keep going guys, achieve to the first from the bottom.
Our press may be “just shy” of Malaysia and Thailand…
But it is directly below Chad and just ahead of Madagascar, Nigeria and Zimbabwe!
Even at 72, Timor-Leste scores much higher than any ASEAN country!
“press remains credible especially in the face of challenges like the new media”
Does he not know that the credibility of our press is being shred to pieces in the new media. While many boot-lickers have questioned the credibility of the news in the new media, especially the internet, it has been repeated proved with evidence that the new media is doing a much more credible job. If not for the new media, the TCs would have been exposed for their million dollar losses, nor would be issue of the 8 month bonus be exposed. People have reached the stage where they verify the credibility of the newspaper reports by serving the internet for alternate views.
The report does not give reasons for Singapore’s rise in the index, but Mr Zaqy thinks it could be because of the media diversity here, with mainstream media going online and “a variety of newspapers like Today”. “The competition creates pressure for media agencies to provide better-quality work.” – from Today online.
That’s his idea of “new media”?
I’m gonna have a few bottles of Tiger Beer right now…maybe after I’m done, what this stooge has just said will make some sense….CHEERS & YAM SENG!
yay…zagy is excellent isnt he…
133 rank => credible???
can you people stop criticising our dear MP…
he probably read the index bottom up…
or maybe he thought the bigger the number the better…
its the fault of the index… not him…
Maybe his words are twisted by the media, just like 93.8 live advert., Hear only the good things…
Wah lau !! at 133 still ranked credible – then you must be incredibly credible – to the extreme lah …..
As long as it is under govt control, it can’t be said credible.
bottom 30 percentile……. mmmmmm……….. remains credible ????? we are talking about 133rd, not 13th.
well, there is always a way to say it …. such talent we have !!!!!!
“does this ranking matter in the end? I don’t think so. What really matters is whether Singaporeans take their media outlets seriously”.
would anyone take their media outlets (other than those interested parties in the media outlets) seriously if it is rated 133rd out of 175th.
How would the lowly rated media outlets go about reporting the opinion if singaporeans do not take them (the media outlets) seriously.
http://www.rsf.org/en-classement1003-2009.html
Here’s a link to the 2009 index. Interestingly,
not far behind is Zimbabwe at 136th
in the article they try to downplay our low ranking by comparing with our neighbours Thailand (130) & Malaysia (131) as if to say its pretty normal to be in this range!
what do you expect him to say? he’d rather treat Singaporeans as gullible idiots than to be treated as one by the establishment.
133rd still beat 42 countries mah! Still cause for celebration what! As long as not 175th! Be contend with what you have ok!
I just feel so shameful with the PAP MPs
It makes me wonder how he is there in the
first place after all the tea party and screening!
Our cream of Singaporeans? I just can’t
help feeling shameful!!!
What kind of backdoor MP is this Zaqy M. Was never voted in. Attained his MP status through the backdoor of GRC. This is the quality of MPs that are not chosen by the people. Another very notable one is the Ah Lian Lee Bee Wah.
Rank 133 and this Goon said our press is till “credible”. My foot is more credible.
Stop harping nonsense and make a fool of yourself Zaqy. Just collect your big MP allowance every month.
My God, Zaqy is chairman for government parliamentary committee for Information, communication and the Arts; is there a better candidate for that post? This is the real quality of backdoor MP jumping on the GRC bandwagon. A dumb guy is more credible than a ranking of no. 133 for the press. Keep on singing your ridiculous tune Zaqy !! A total disgrace !!
well, if ‘media’ includes TOC or other sites like it, I can understand why our ranking improved. Frankly, without TOC, I most likely won’t know about the kind of abuses that the FWs suffer… can’t even recall if any other sites or if the press mentioned this topic.
to be able to still claim success in the face of stark failure… takes a certain “talent”… or the lack of it.
#9 Yamamoto wrote:
You never win the silver, you lost the gold.
But in this case, our MSM not only lost gold, but also lost silver, lost bronze and just about everything else. Reminds me of what Peppermint Patty (Peanuts cartoon) once got for her school grades: Z –
*****
Meanwhile, #4 says
If our ministers are benchmarking their salaries against world class standards…
Slight clarification here. Our Minister’s salaries are not just world class standards but 7x or 8x world class standards.
PM Lee draws more than the combined salaries of the world’s top 7 or 8 Presidents and Prime Ministers. No other minister’s salary comes close.
Looks like our MIW will reward themselves with yet more salary increases, for having achieved another incredible “improvement”!
The irony of it all…why we actually ranked 133rd on media transparency/freedom:
look where this piece of article was published in the papers (ref Today)…some stupid obscure corner…together with another feel-good ‘new attractions in Sentosa, best in the world’ crap
look who got to be the spokesperson for the govt to comment on our ‘achievements’…Zaqy…
This is what I gathered from the report published by TODAY.
In the area of press freedom:
The MSM is behind Thailand and Malaysia.
It is in position 133 out of 175 countries.
It is in the bottom 20 percentile.
The best part of the report is the part where the same MSM attempts to justify the poor ranking by using the SMU staff’s response to it that the ranking does not matter to Singaporeans.
No, I take that back – there is a better part – this Zacky chap, the mouthpiece of the government and the government-controlled press; using the poor ranking to claim credibility for them.
He is like a pig who shouts at the top of his voice, claiming that his pig-sty remains one of the best in the village because it looks slightly better this year compared to last year – forgetting that he is still living in the same pig-sty.
Some questions are begging to be answered, like LHL’s freer society. Is being in the bottom 20% the best he can do? Is climbing 3 spots up the ladder something to crow about? Has he identified the areas that are giving us such a poor ranking? What is he going to do about it especially with the influence and competition from the new media?
Look, if LHL actually does anything about a freer society we wouldn’t be seeing so much human stupidity right now.
I have only two worries to talk about.
1) Both Singapore and Zimbabwe appear to have improved significantly from last year. I would be horrified if Zimbabwe overtook our country in this area. They lynch opposition and shoot journalists there, yet we’re comparable??
2) Venezuela have dropped significantly. YET they’re still ranked higher than us even though Hugo Chavez has his cronies take down opposing radio stations by force (legal and illegal) and fill the airwaves with white noise playing up his rhetoric. I can’t believe we’re worse than this!!! I have to wonder what else are we doing that we’ve not noticed yet??!
I have to peek at the dark corners of Singapore and wonder what else is hiding, waiting to ambush us.
Gemami,
I think Zagy is muslim so you should avoid using that
animal to describe
But your analogy is superb!
##32) Pimps And Prostitutes on October 22nd, 2009 12.17 am
“PM Lee draws more than the combined salaries of the world’s top 7 or 8 Presidents and Prime Ministers. No other minister’s salary comes close”.
====
If I am not mistaken, any one of the PAP Cabinet Ministers is drawing a salary that is higher than President Barak Obama and the salaries of other first world country leaders.
.. and if I am not mistaken (again) the Ministers here are also entitled to performance-linked bonuses on top of their salaries (???).
Only the Men In White can justify this ridiculous anomaly…
Can Mah Bow Tan or anyone of them look into the mirror and honestly say to himself / themselves that they are justified to earn more than Barrack Obama or the Leaders of Germany, France, Japan etc.. ??
I dont even see how the sg Gahment can relate this to “Swiss Standard of Living”
i read the link : http://www.rsf.org/en-classement1003-2009.html
and it the Swiss are tied at 7th place. While sg is far back at 133.
seriously, the gahment either blind or think people stupid.
what an INSULT!!
Does anyone know what is the total package for our Ministers who are receiving pension, salary and performance linked bonuses.
It is not incrediable than our leaders abolished the pension scheme across the service but retained it for themselves. Is this leadership by example? Is this a leader who has the moral authority to govern? To be honest, they might crow about their acheivement and compare themselves with badly off countries, but the fact remains that there are many a countries that have produced a bigger success story than Singapore with a much happier population and their Ministers don’t reward themselves like ours do. As far as I’m am concerned this is legalised corruption. How different are they from the bankers who paid themselves extraordinary amounts. As the days go by, my respect for them is approaching point zero and the same goes to our MSM, No it should not be called MSM but SM, state media
Well, if i understand how the media and govt PR depts work,
1. The media would write in to ask for a statement from Zaqy.
2.Zaqy’s PR officer drafts up the statement, after which Zaqy is asked to review.
3. and the response goes back to the media.
On matters and articles like these, its of the lowest priority, so not a lot of thought is put into the response. I suspect that his MInistry dont really even care for this rating system, as opposed to GDP rates, Standard of Living, Quality of Life. His Ministry’s KPI is not measured by this international rating.
So, for me, if singapore’s position goes up or down, we in Singapore, we Singaporeans, know it dont mean anything. Esp even more so for the govt. As such, i find Singapore’s standing and this article of no consequence.
We just have to keep up the blogging for an alternative voice. But we need to have responsible blogging too – if we’re to be seen as “competitors” to MSM. STOMP not included.
when they promised swiss standard of living…they were talking about themselves…They ARE living a swiss standard living…heck they are paid more than Obama…
More good years……. swiss standard…… this is the slogan by Goh chok tong. Golden years…. MM Lee…… Mee Siam My Hum…. PM Lee . Empty cans make the most noise. Can’t even tackle the economic problems, investment losses, can’t bring down costs, up youself million of dollars…. ask your ntuc clown to shout cheaper, better , faster. How can we respect you ??
when the ranking is negative. they say, not important lah. when its positive they suddenly make a U turn and even claim it underlines their credibility.
Wau! so either way the house wins lah. How to lose?
Incredible, just incredble. I wonder why poor Zaqy even bothers to defend what is essentially indefensible. But watch it, perhaps over the next few days, MSM will start saying that the rating is not to be taken seriously. It’s just the lop-sided view of Westernised liberal types, who are just jealous of how Singapore has managed to develop a sensible rational media.
Just to play Devil’s Advocate, may I question the assumption that being ranked lowly in press freedom connotes a lack of credibility in our media.
Not necessarily so, methinks. A high level of press freedom merely suggest low Government control and restrictions on information flow. It says nothing about whether the information itself is reliable – and hence credible. It is possible that Government control of the media is sometimes necessary to ENSURE reliability of the information so reported.
So, even if information is tightly controlled, as long as the Government is a benevolent one, the information may still be credible. So, remember, this is an index of press freedom, not an index of press credibility! This distinction is important.
@46) smallvoice585 on October 22nd, 2009 5.48 pm
[[So, even if information is tightly controlled, as long as the Government is a benevolent one, the information may still be credible. So, remember, this is an index of press freedom, not an index of press credibility! This distinction is important. ]]
So tell me, which government in the history of mankind is truly benevolent and lasted for thousands of years with the people being happy and no revolution?
I’m waiting.
Guys , all your commens certainly no use wan lah.
We should trust Zaqi.
Dear 48) btan,
We do not need a government that is benevolent for “thousands of years”. It is enough that the government that you elect stay benevolent till the next election. Therefore, it is our duty as citizens to ensure that, by voting wisely.
Democracy, press freedom, human rights, accountability, transparency, etc, are all mere surrogates for political benevolence.
That, in a nutshell, is what politics is about.