QUESTION TIME Yes, he left to re-join his friend, tycoon Tong Kooi Ong, the owner of The Edge in Malaysia and Singapore. But the facts indicate that there must be more - much more than that - for Ho Kay Tat, group managing director and CEO, to leave a lucrative post at The Star for something much smaller right now.

Ho, a former journalist who has worked at The Malay Mail, Reuters and Singapore Business Times, may have been enticed by other opportunities, including a new newspaper and a significant equity stake among others, while there undoubtedly were push factors from within The Star and the political and other pressures he was subject to.

Before we begin a detailed examination of the reasons why he left The Star, it would do well to explain why he joined it in the first place. Part 1 deals with just that while Part 2 next week will talk about why he then left The Star.

First, it is only appropriate that I declare whatever interests I may have in relation to this article and make a short introduction to my ‘Question Time' column...