Cai Qin, a Taiwanese songstress popular with many Chinese-speaking Malaysians, was in Kuala Lumpur last weekend. Together with the world-renowned Shanghai Orchestra, they brought to the Malaysian audience a wonderful musical feast - for free.

In conjunction with its 75th Anniversary, Sin Chew Daily , the largest and best-selling Chinese daily in Malaysia, has been putting in place a series of cultural and educational events across the country, the complimentary concert of Cai Qin and the Shanghai Orchestra being one of them. The loyal readers of Sin Chew have indeed been treated to a display of pomp and fanfare.

It was a success for Sin Chew , and this was evident in its self-congratulatory articles and pages of photographs. Sin Chew 's cultural mission is laudable, but can that be a substitute for the media's ultimate calling to report and comment without fear and favour?

Enough is said and written on the cultural role of the Chinese press in Malaysia. More than serving merely as a vehicle of news and information, Chinese-language newspapers in this country are also expected, right or wrong, to assume a frontline position in safeguarding the interests of the community. To no small number of Chinese Malaysians, any affront on the Chinese press is, more often than not, interpreted as an attack on Chinese Malaysian culture itself.

Thus, when Sin Chew was abruptly suspended by the authorities in October 1987, along with The Star and Watan , a fringe Malay tabloid, for the alleged and perfidious sin of fanning up racial sentiments, I was panic-stricken and outraged. A high school student at that time, I made a sympathy card and had like-minded classmates sign it. It was personally delivered to the Sin Chew office in Johor Bahru. 'May calm prevail amidst great uncertainty' were the words written on it.

The Sin Chew that I knew back then was, of course, a far cry from its position as a press hegemon of today. At times, I cannot help laughing at this teenage innocence of mine. But I suppose it was all part and parcel of growing up and 'becoming mellow'. If the same thing happened today, I would probably choose to express my solidarity not just with Sin Chew , but with The Star (Yes! The Star !) and Watan as well. That was my Chinese chauvinistic past.

Cultural feeder

With that said, one must probe as to what direction the Malaysian press industry is leading the public into. Like their counterparts worldwide, all our local dailies have their respective visions and missions to brag about, but being an opinion shaper and leader never seems to be one of them. Some, like Utusan Malaysia , Berita Harian and the New Straits Times , are crystal clear about and comfortable with their constructive partnership with the government, while The Star is happy to be an efficient infotainment channel.

As Malaysian politics is increasingly Singapore-ised , even the Chinese press is now regressing to behave more like a cultural feeder. Instead of functioning as the fourth estate, the Chinese media in Malaysia now operate more like a mammoth charity organiser, which I think is not all that bad. Still, it has to be said that the most discomforting fact is that nearly all the chief editors and senior journalists in Malaysia seem proud to be associated with the reigning political class in one way or another. The Oriental Daily News , for one, is often accused of seeking to establish a rapport with Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in order to survive the containment by other Chinese dailies.

The Guardian's

late anchor columnist Hugo Young, whose critical mind and journalistic integrity are now sorely missed, wrote just before his death in September 2003,

for me, there's a limit to the intimacy (between journalists and politicians). It's the only way I feel comfortable. I can think of no more than three politicians I've regarded as friends. Friends, in this business, are poison to the work such fastidiousness is not an advantage for a columnist. It cuts off some of the inside dope. But I think it keeps the water purer.

How wise and insightful. If Young was to practise journalism in Malaysia, his brilliant works might never be published. Or even if he tried to keep the politicians at arm's length, he most probably would not be able to avoid being surrounded by 'media professionals' who also happened to be a Tan Sri or at least a Datuk.

Although Young did not recall any British journalist whose reputation was improved by making him or herself an editorial auxiliary to the prime minister Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s, he would find many of his Malaysian counterparts jostling for the privilege of writing an editorial for the government.

Media summit

But this is not to belittle the aspiration of the mainstream media in Malaysia to become a prominent player in the global scene. The just concluded Asia Media Summit

, co-sponsored by the NST , the Star and other regional media, is the case in point. It was a golden opportunity for Malaysia to showcase its 'vibrant' media industry and, yes, officiated by the prime minister, who wasted no time in using the occasion to remind the audience of the importance of local peculiarities and racial harmony.

This is no sour grapes. In fact, the summit gathered together heavyweight media professionals from around the world, including Russian and Pakistani journalists, as well as those representing CNN and the BBC, a good mix of speakers.

If I was at the summit, I would make sure I introduce the foreign media representatives to NST 's 'What others say' column, which gives readers a summary of what editors of foreign newspapers say about certain issues or events.

The reader should, no doubt, be appreciative of the effort by the English broadsheet to broaden the minds of Malaysians. But it is intriguing to notice that those foreign editors, in general, also happen to share the view of the Malaysian government. I guess calling it 'How others agree with us' would be more apt.

On the issue of Iraq, for instance, I hardly come cross an excerpt of The Daily Telegraph or The Times being used, as the NST seems to favour only the editorials of The Guardian , which was opposed to the US invasion from the outset. If one is not familiar with Britain and reads only the NST , he or she can surely be forgiven for thinking that the motherland of the English language has only one newspaper, and that is The Guardian .

So, when I was asked by a friend as to why the news of Malaysia inviting US experts to help with anti-terrorism training was not carried by the Malay press and the NST , but by the foreign media and appeared in a tiny corner of The Sun , I said, rather taciturnly, "It's our media culture. Are you not Malaysian?"