Self-Censorship - now CNA censor LKY's NatGeo Interview Transcript

[elephanto]

We all know Main Stream Media likes to assist our Garmen by self-censorship : so before LHL could say he made a mistake in the classic 'Meesiam mai hum' quip, they actually 1st suggested it was 'Meesiam mai hiam (chilly)'.

Now the latest as uncovered by Ben Bland.

They regurgitate Nat Geo Interview with MM Lee into an article that stressed need for Sporean resilience, then added a link to the Interview Transcript.

Their sanitized version is actually a 'censored' one:-

CNA appears to have cut the section where Lee reveals that he won’t go to hawker centres any more for fear that ordinary Singaporeans might dare to shake his mighty hand.

For deprived CNA readers, here are the comments in full:

"I can’t go anymore because so many people want to shake my hands and I become a distraction, I can’t really get down to my food. I tend to go to restaurants when I go out and I try restaurants with a quiet corner where I can sneak in and sneak out with my friends and not have a crowd wanting to shake hands with me."

Verbatim transcript avail from gov.sg website.

In many ways, they have acted with extreme courage by daring to edit Lee Kuan Yew’s comments. Not many people would risk his wrath by deigning to tell him what he should or shouldn’t say.

As they say: 'Kiang' good enuf, dun 'Kay Kiang' !

 

[po2wq]

how dare dey twist his words n put words in2 his mouth! ...

 

[elephanto]

Brudder,

actually the reverse - they didn't twist his words but take away his words.

Maybe CNA thinks Old man's remarks on not eating at hawker centre cos people wanting to shake his hands / so sneaking in & out of restaurants etc - remarks are 'too sensitive' to be revealed....

What they left out & what they left in - reveals someone's concerns in CNA...

 

[kingrant]

Actually,Old Man revels in opening his big fat mouth and shitting all over the place. The spin machine comes along and cleans up the shit so he will always have a 'nice' image. Incoherent sentences become perfect sentences, unpleasant utterances are cut out..

He didnt even need to tell them to do it..the running dogs are so well-tamed.

 

[scroobal]

Have to agree with you here. "Today" being relative new to the game then allowed Val Chua the journalist to run an article on old man, his wife's sudden condition in London and some disparaging remarks about Kondon public hospitals. Shaun Seow, Mano Sabnani, Bachan Singh and Val Chua was summoned to the Istana and given a battering by the old man.

The rule is " I say what I want, but you guys report what is politically correct for the Singapore context".

Actually,Old Man revels in opening his big fat mouth and shitting all over the place. The spin machine comes along and cleans up the shit so he will always have a 'nice' image. Incoherent sentences become perfect sentences, unpleasant utterances are cut out..

He didnt even need to tell them to do it..the running dogs are so well-tamed.

 

[elephanto]

I am more bemused by the following:-

(1) Why alter when at gov.sg the original transcript source is avail to all

(2) Why the part on hawker centre & shaking hands - not the part on Malay/Muslims & sharing rice.

Oh Well, I guess there is no point analyzing the IQ of the 'angkat bolahs' ....

 

[chorut]

It is true. The spurs not in the hide, very true.

 

[scroobal]

Not many people are aware of the censorship. It was the same with me and I realised something quite interesting along the way - the meat that was censored was more in latter years than in the early years. Old man's interviews with the less covered western press is even more revealing but these are seldom acovered by the Americans or the British press. There was one where he spoke about the poor genes of the Malays and the Indians.

I put it down to avoid any issues so the easy way out was to cut out the meat completely rather than spend time and effort figuring out what the top wants. This report is a classic - its absolutely bare.

GE2006 was interesting when the the state press substituted words and gave the wrong meaning (positive rather than derogatory) rather than call the PM's Press Secretary for clarification. When the PM's press secretary came out the next day and clarified, they must have looked extremely silly. It also reflects badly on the PM's Press Sec as he is supposed to have a line with the Press community.

I am more bemused by the following:-

(1) Why alter when at gov.sg the original transcript source is avail to all

(2) Why the part on hawker centre & shaking hands - not the part on Malay/Muslims & sharing rice.

Oh Well, I guess there is no point analyzing the IQ of the 'angkat bolahs' ....

 

[kingrant]

Not many people are aware of the censorship. It was the same with me and I realised something quite interesting along the way - the meat that was censored was more in latter years than in the early years. Old man's interviews with the less covered western press is even more revealing but these are seldom acovered by the Americans or the British press. There was one where he spoke about the poor genes of the Malays and the Indians.

I put it down to avoid any issues so the easy way out was to cut out the meat completely rather than spend time and effort figuring out what the top wants. This report is a classic - its absolutely bare.

GE2006 was interesting when the the state press substituted words and gave the wrong meaning (positive rather than derogatory) rather than call the PM's Press Secretary for clarification. When the PM's press secretary came out the next day and clarified, they must have looked extremely silly. It also reflects badly on the PM's Press Sec as he is supposed to have a line with the Press community.

Nothing as legendary as 'fix the opp' and 'mee siam mai hum'! They have been etched into Singapore's memory. One shows the gut reflex of a tyrant; the other shows loss of touch with the ground. Something no spin machine can retract or ameliorate or embellish.