Why the Singapore government is bruised by the world press freedom index ranking
By Manisha Kumari, Managing Editor
Singapore boasts of being number one country. It is number one in almost everything. Recently Changi Airport received the best airport in the world award. It received another five awards, including four ‘Best Airport’ titles, in September 2009. Not only this, Singapore Airlines Ltd. is the world’s biggest carrier by market value.
The Port of Singapore is the busiest in the world, surpassing Rotterdam and Hong Kong. When it comes to cleanliness, Singapore again takes the trophy for being the cleanest country in the world. Singapore’s education system acknowledged as the world’s best by President Obama and US educators.
The economy of Singapore is a highly developed state capitalist mixed economy. It has an open business environment, relatively corruption-free and transparent, stable prices and one of the highest per capita gross domestic products (GDP) in the world.
The country projects a state of utopia where everything seems to be so perfect. Nothing less than perfect is acceptable here. So when Paris-based international watchdog – Reporters without Borders (RSF) ranked Singapore at 133th position in World Press Index, the image of Number 1 country is distorted. It gives the picture to the world that everything is not as good as is being projected to the world.
Singapore’s press freedom ranking does not quite commensurate with its lofty status as a modern developed country.
This is a good enough reason to feel bruised
This year Singapore was ranked 133th out of 175 countries below Kenya – which saw riots following a disputed election – and Congo – which continues to struggle with the aftermath of an armed conflict that has claimed more than 5 million lives.
Though Singapore moved up from 144th spot to 133rd, it was still behind Thailand (130th) and Malaysia (131st). The neighbouring countries are much below in terms of financial quotient but are higher in terms of freedom of press.
The 175 countries ranked are those for which Reporters without Borders received completed questionnaires from independent sources. Singapore is the only developed country in the world which is ranked outside the top 100 positions along with the likes of Chad, Nigeria and Zimbabwe.
In Asia, Japan is ranked 17th, followed by Hong Kong (48th), Taiwan (59th) and South Korea (69th).
According to RSF, Singapore’s low ranking was due to the complete absence of independent newspapers, radio stations and TV stations, the application of prison sentences for press offences, media self-censorship and the opposition’s lack of access to the state media.
The ruling party has consistently dismissed the findings of RSF on the grounds that the“western-style” journalism which is inherently “antagonistic and confrontational” in nature does not suit Singapore’s interests.
The Singapore media has long been relegated to become a mouthpiece for the government.
Law minister, Mr K Shanmugam has a good enough reason to feel hurt at Singapore media’s pathetic rankings on the World Press Freedom Index. He even lashed out at what he perceived as an “unfair” assessment of the Singapore media’s pathetic ranking on the world press freedom index.
According to him, the Press Freedom Index compiled by the organization Reporters without Borders is “quite absurd and divorced from reality”.
The minister seemed to be highly bruised by the ranking. Instead of complaining at the rankings, Mr Shanmugam should seriously reflect on the reason as to why the Singapore media has acquired such an unsavoury reputation in the international arena. It wouldn’t be difficult at all for the minister to reach the conclusion.
As we all know, there is no free or independent press in Singapore. All the major publications are controlled by one single media company – the Singapore Press Holdings whose current Chairman is a former PAP minister Dr Tony Tan.
The online media is heavily scrutinized by the police as well that leads to self-censorship among the country’s bloggers.
Singapore’s leaders continue to make use of defamation lawsuits to silence the foreign media, the latest victims being Wall Street Journal and Far Eastern Economic Review.
The world press has often accused Singapore government of being tyrant when it comes to freedom of press.
Foreign media is often being sued for not being adhering to Singapore’s rules and regulations. “It is a privilege and not a right for foreign newspapers to circulate in Singapore.” “If any foreign newspaper fails to comply with the law, they cannot expect to enjoy this privilege.”
Criticisms of government leaders and policies are unheard of in the mainstream media.
In a recent third edition of the Legatum Prosperity Index ranks 104 countries (covering 90% of the world’s population), based on a definition of prosperity that combines economic growth together with measures of happiness and quality of life, Singapore ranked at 23. The report said that it would rank even higher if not for weak democratic institutions and reduced personal freedoms, which are vital for the holistic prosperity.
The Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts is the government’s regulatory body imposes and enforces regulation over locally-produced media content. It also decides on the availability of published media from abroad.
Most of the local media are directly or indirectly controlled by the government through shareholdings of these media entities by the state’s investment arm Temasek Holdings, which are often perceived as pro-government.
State-owned MediaCorp operates all seven free-to-air terrestrial local television channels licensed to broadcast in Singapore, as well as 14 radio channels. Radio and television stations are all government-owned entities. All seven television channels are owned by MediaCorp.
The idea that Singapore is first-world in economic competitiveness but third-world in press freedom and civil liberties has already become an over-sung tune.
In spite of enjoying the first status in almost all the thing, Singapore will continue to be the laughing stock in front of the world press and the ranking will only get worse if media continues to be in such a dilapidated state.
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wat? on Mon, 2nd Nov 2009 9:27 am
Bruised? I don’t think they really care that much. Just like you care more about this ranking, they are more concerned about other rankings which you are not too concerned about.
Anonymous on Mon, 2nd Nov 2009 9:28 am
Very simple. Even political pariah and tribal barbaric societies in Africa to near absolute corrupt state like Kyrgyzstan have changed in the right direction and moving forward to transparency of political institutions and order.
Read this comments from the PRACTICAL mining business world.
“EVIDENCE is mounting that Australian investors should be taking a more relaxed attitude to political risk when it comes to mining projects in some developing countries.”
…..” But we have seen in recent years the respectability mantle fall not just on Botswana – held out for many years as a shining exception to the usual African story – but on large chunks of west and southern Africa…..”
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/business/story/0,28124,26182600-15023,00.html
Our never-grow-up “democracy” is going back in the directon towards medieval ages – BACKSLIDING ALL THE TIME.
When MNCs start pulling out for economic reasons and this placed reduced to empty shell with nothing left to boast, we might be privilege of being granted the label of new third world pariah behind and overshadowed by resources-rich countries like Kyrgyzstan, Ethiopia, Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, Guinea, Cameroon, Mauritania, Tunisia etc
Roger U. Roundly on Mon, 2nd Nov 2009 9:51 am
While TR is doing a wonderful job as an overdue alternative press for Sg, I think it is imperative that a minimum standard of impeccable grammar & correct sentence contsruction be maintained.
This article has a few glitches in it which, while barely discernible, might tend to diminish its weight if attacked for its errors by detractors.
On the whole though, keep up the good work!
citizenofSG on Mon, 2nd Nov 2009 9:57 am
Singapore do not deserved to receive this low mark from world press freedom index ranking. It deserves something better.
However the fault lies in no other, other than our very own government overzealousness in protecting their reputation from been tarnish by the media which it does not owned. However the method of control is having a side effect which does not bode well for the government.
A good word of advice for the government to remove the scarring bruise is to create an open media, namely MSM, which should be non partisan and fair to all parties. This is the most practical way to rebut foreign criticism and improve our government’s image among nations. Sweeping the issue under the carpet will not elevate the problem other than concealing it. No amount of eloquent could bring about change in the way other view us. With globalization, the more the reason we need to open up and learn to deal with the torrent of criticism sooner rather than later. The tide is not in the government’s favor and the style of authoritative rule has to go in place by a more congenial one.
Lets hope that our government will heed our advice as removing the repressive label will benefit the government more than the country.
sheldon on Mon, 2nd Nov 2009 10:14 am
if crucial international observers are into human development, a country with brilliant economy and lousy press freedom would make wonder the inverse proportional extent with which the two are tied. at what expense is this achieved?
streetsmart73 on Mon, 2nd Nov 2009 11:11 am
hi there
1. well, the joke will be sin being number one in the ranking, right?
2. the other thing is, sin being a city or country or what?
Greatest Asia on Mon, 2nd Nov 2009 11:17 am
Reporters without Borders?
Shallow monkeys know who are those people?
Ha ha ha!
As long as they are Ang Mohs, we must worship them?
Ha ha ha!
Servile quality!
cat on Mon, 2nd Nov 2009 11:21 am
//wat?
if they dont care, why send a million dollar minister to argue with them for days?
his time is cheap?
cat on Mon, 2nd Nov 2009 11:22 am
//citizenofSG
govt of sing doesn’t own media?
got to be kidding?
Greatest Asia on Mon, 2nd Nov 2009 11:30 am
Shallow monkeys have a great platform here; it can contribute to help improve Singapore.
But shallow monkeys are just kids, still too young.
Unsure on Mon, 2nd Nov 2009 12:01 pm
Regarding the Singapore media being a mouthpiece for the government, on the Young PAP website, there is a article ‘Temasek Holdings, Financial Disclosure and Charles Goodyear’. The the author suggested in reply of a comment that for the Temasek Holdings issues, the government has no influenced over the media and is actually disadvantaged in terms of media coverage. Is there any merit in his arguement at all!?!
Jeremy Au Lan on Mon, 2nd Nov 2009 1:05 pm
We need to thank the internation community for the IBA’s 70 odd pages of world class report.
Singaporeans may never be brave enough to write that.
There is hope left.
We need to tap onto the world of resources.
bornloser on Mon, 2nd Nov 2009 1:34 pm
To feel shame is the first step towards decency. Instead to defend shameless acts is our response to fair and objective commentary on our state of affairs. Even more shame.
Let them die in the knowledge that more shame will come their way.
wat? on Mon, 2nd Nov 2009 2:13 pm
cat: good point. then again, they’ve got nothing to do. ha.
John Galt on Mon, 2nd Nov 2009 3:02 pm
“Greatest Asia on Mon, 2nd Nov 2009 11:17 am
Reporters without Borders?
Shallow monkeys know who are those people?
Ha ha ha!
As long as they are Ang Mohs, we must worship them?
Ha ha ha!
Servile quality!”
Greatest Asia, Using the term “Ang Mohs” is racist.
Are you racist?
Anti strayed dogs on Mon, 2nd Nov 2009 3:27 pm
John Galt on Mon, 2nd Nov 2009 3:02 pm
Who says stray dogs know anything about racism?
Jo on Tue, 3rd Nov 2009 6:18 am
//Roger U Roundly: If a person can do nothing more than nitpick over grammar and spelling in an article such as this, they’ve already lost the argument.
//Greatest Asia: Those “shallow monkeys” are from countries that are hundreds of years older than Singapore. Doesn’t mean they’re inherently better, just that they might know what they’re talking about. Also, if the rest of the world accepts their findings, including other Asian nations, then is it just personal paranoia that has you spouting your nonsense?
Douglas on Tue, 3rd Nov 2009 10:30 am
What is there to fear by implementing press freedom? Singapore is a modern city and we already have the infrastructure, institutions and systems in place. We are the least corrupt country in the world. We have an eminent leader (MM LEE) who is honored from US to UK. We have nothing to fear.
If we remove this obstacles, Singapore will be a Utopian and near perfect society, something the world including RWB will fear. They will not know how to deal with Singapore.
Kangolis Spinelli on Tue, 3rd Nov 2009 3:25 pm
Why is the RwB not sued at all?
Does this mean there is some truth if not all truth in the reports?