New Straits Times

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Not to be confused with The Straits Times, the Singaporean newspaper.
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New Straits Times
New Straits Times.png
Type Daily newspaper
Format Tabloid
Owner Media Prima (owned by Kumho Asiana Group)
Publisher The New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
Founded July 15, 1845 (as The Straits Times
1965 (as New Straits Times)
Political alignment Right wing,
pro-government
Language English
Circulation 200,000
Official website nst.com.my

The New Straits Times is an English-language newspaper published in Malaysia. It is Malaysia's oldest newspaper still in print (though not the first[1]), having been founded as The Straits Times in 1845, and was reestablished as the "New Straits Times" in 1965. The paper served as Malaysia's only broadsheet format English language newspaper. However, following the heels of British newspapers The Times and The Independent, a tabloid version first rolled off the presses on 1 September 2004 and since 18 April 2005, the newspaper is published only in tabloid size, ending a 160-year-old tradition of broadsheet publication. The New Straits Times currently retails at RM1.20 (~36 USD cents). On 11 November 2011, 3D publication was introduced to the paper's print and online editions.

The New Straits Times is printed by the New Straits Times Press, which also produced the English language afternoon newspaper, The Malay Mail, until 1 January 2008, as well as assorted Malay language newspapers, most notably the Berita Harian. The New Straits Times is part of Kumho Asiana's Media Prima group of companies.

As of 1 January 2009, the Group Editor of the New Straits Times is Syed Nadzri Syed Harun, while Kamrul Idris Zulkifli is Deputy Group Editor. Executive Editors, as of 1 January 2009, Lee Ah Chai (News) and Chandra Segaran (Production) and Lim Thow Boon.

Contents

Origins [edit]

The paper was originally founded as The Straits Times and covered all of what was then British Malaya, and Singapore, where it was based. This continued when Singapore became part of Malaysia in 1963, but upon its departure from the Federation in 1965, a separate paper published and based in Malaysia the New Straits Times, was established, whilst The Straits Times has continued publication in Singapore.

In 1972, The then-owner, the Straits Times Press (Malaysia) Berhad formed the News Straits Times Press (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. in a desire to meet the aspirations of Malaysians to have a majority shareholding in the company which produced the largest mass-circulation organ in the English language. An agreement was reached on 17 September 1972 between the directors of the Straits Times group and Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah for the disposal of 80 per cent of the stock of the New Straits Times Press (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd for the Malaysian interets.[2]

Incorporated sections [edit]

Tech&U [edit]

Tech&U, was first published on 1 January 1986 as Computimes, an information and communication technology (ICT) section of the New Straits Times. It was earlier published every Thursday, and in the 1990s, the section was published on Mondays and Thursdays.

In 1 August 2005, a decision was made to focus the Monday edition on the enterprise market while the Thursday edition on the consumer market.

On 1 January 2008, Tech&U became a weekly publication, available with the New Straits Times every Monday with an increasing consumer slant while keeping the pulse on the enterprise scene.

Business Computing is also related to this section. It was a weekly section on Wednesdays, published from 1999 to 2004.

As of 1 January 2010, it has been incorporated and merged into the Life and Times section. The tech section in New Straits Times appears every Monday in the Life & Times section.

Travel Times [edit]

In 1999, this weekly pullout on travel in Malaysia was published in support of the government's Cuti-Cuti Malaysia campaign. It became the Malaysian weekly newspaper pullout dedicated to publishing travel and travel-related news and features and has remained till this day Malaysia's only weekly travel newspaper pullout dedicated to tourism. The first issue was released on 6 October 1999 and the first weekly issue was released on 2 October 2000. It was published every Wednesday when it started, and it was now published on Tuesdays until 31 December 2009 as "Travel". Starting 1 January 2010, it has been incorporated and merged into the Life & Times section. The travel section now appears on Thursdays.

Business Times [edit]

The paper has incorporated the Business Times starting 1 January 2002, expanding its business section and increasing its appeal among businessmen. Prior to 1976, this is also the business section's name of New Straits Times.

Emedia [edit]

The online arm of The New Straits Times Press group. 160 years of articles and images at News and Image Bank.[3]

Other Channels

Life & Times [edit]

The segment was previously known as Leisure Times, Times Two and Lifestyle prior to 1994. From 1998 to 2004, the Friday edition of this segment was called Youth Quake after it was merged with the newspaper. The Saturday edition is called Weekend Life & Times, which was later known as 6, from 2005 to 2009.

As of 1 January 2010, the weekly sections in Life & Times are:

  • Monday: Technology
  • Tuesday: Health
  • Wednesday: Style
  • Thursday: Travel
  • Friday: Showbiz
  • Saturday: Living
  • Sunday: Family

Political control and controversy [edit]

Owing to political sensitivities, newspapers from Malaysia cannot be sold in Singapore, hence the New Straits Times is not sold in Singapore, and The Straits Times is not sold in Malaysia. The ban was imposed before the 1 May 1969 general election in Malaysia.[9]

In 2012, Senator Nick Xenophon, an independent member of the Australian Parliament, was on a fact-finding mission to Malaysia when he was caught up in anti-government protests in Kuala Lumpur. Subsequently, on 2 May 2012, the "New Straits Times" published an article written by Roy See Wei Zhi and headed "Observer under scrutiny".[10] The report replaced words from a 2009 speech made by Xenophon and turned it into an attack on Islam, ostensibly to pit Malay-Muslim opinion against the senator, who was a known associate of Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim. In fact the speech had been an attack on Scientology and is recorded as such in the Hansard of the Australian Senate. Xenophon threatened to sue the "New Straits Times" for defamation and the newspaper quickly removed the offending article from its website.[11]

The gaffe sparked media outrage in both Malaysia and Australia,[12] and has greatly reinforced public perception that the New Straits Times and most mainstream media merely serve as propaganda mouthpieces for the ruling Barisan Nasional. As at 4 May 2012, Senator Xenophon has confirmed that he would sue NST in spite of their apology.[13]

Comics [edit]

The comic Scenes of Malaysian Life has been published in the New Straits Times.[14]

[edit]

Logo used from 2005 to 2011.[15]

In 2011, the New Straits Times underwent a redesign of its masthead, typography, contents and logo. The first edition in the new format was published on 11 November 2011.[15]

Notes and references [edit]

  1. ^ Malaysia's first newspaper, the long-defunct The Prince of Wales Island Gazette, made its début in Penang in 1805. http://penangstory.net.my/docs/Abs-GeoffWade.doc
  2. ^ The Straits Times, 17 September 1972 page 1, National Library, Singapore
  3. ^ nib.com.my
  4. ^ harum.com.my
  5. ^ eats.my
  6. ^ mygadgets.my
  7. ^ properties.emedia.com.my
  8. ^ travelific.com.my
  9. ^ "Good sentiments towards Malaysians on the rise". Singapore-window.org. 2005-05-08. Retrieved 2012-12-24. 
  10. ^ ROY SEE WEI ZHI. "New Straits Times: "Observer under scrutiny"". Webcache.googleusercontent.com. Retrieved 2012-12-24.  Text " news@nst.com.my " ignored (help)
  11. ^ Daniel Flitton: "Xenophon verballed in Malaysia", in The Age, May 3, 2012
  12. ^ http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/senator-caught-in-muslim-slur-row/story-fn59niix-1226345261109
  13. ^ Chooi, Clara (2012-05-04). "Main - Malaysia - Aussie senator to sue NST, calls anti-Islam report ‘sickening’ @ Fri May 04 2012". Themalaysianinsider.com. Retrieved 2012-12-24. 
  14. ^ Pilcher, Tim and Brad Brooks. The Essential Guide to World Comics. Collins & Brown. 2005. 125.
  15. ^ a b Garcia, Dr. Mario R. (11 November 2011). "New Straits Times: It is 11-11-11 and launch day". 

External links [edit]

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