The Star's anti-establishment itch is back again with the usual racial sentiment. The headline story on Aug 3 showed a distressed looking, old doctor crying foul over the government's planned acquisition of the Coliseum cinema in Kuala Lumpur. The picture being painted by The Star is that of a brutal government snatching away unfairly the beloved property of a poor, old man.

The next day The Star published what the minister of culture, arts and heritage had already explained - that the building would be turned into a National Heritage Centre with the aim of making it a hub for artistic and cultural activities centring around the famous Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman. There was no mention of a plan to 'tear down' the building.

One wonders why The Star found it necessary to highlight the story of Dr Chua Seong Siew. One also wonders why Chua is so unhappy when his beloved building will become a national monument to be forever preserved and maintained by the government. Does he prefer the building to remain in his own hands so that he can eventually turn it into a money-spinner? Does the present status of the building as a cheap venue for movie-goers make it worthy of being recognised as part of our national heritage?

And worst of all, in order to drum up support for The Star's hidden agenda, it is publishing only dissenting views from the public. Surely there are people who would agree with the government's noble move. Isn't it the media's responsibility to present a balanced view to the public?

The purpose of this message is not to seek publicity but to call upon the good senses of the decision-makers in The Star to be more responsible citizens of this multi-racial, multi-religious and peaceful nation. The Star has a special role to play in this respect.

Needless to say, the English language has become the obvious medium of communication within the various ethnic groups and The Star has, by default, become the leading vehicle for such communication.

What the Chinese, Indian and Malay language dailies say reaches out mainly to their respective ethnic readers, but The Star cuts across all the ethnic groups. The Star cannot and should not, therefore, be seen to represent any particular ethnic group, even if it is owned directly or indirectly by a political party representing a particular ethnic community.