Asians may turn to international or alternative news resources if they perceive their respective local media to be lacking credibility, warned MCA president Ong Ka Ting today.

In view of this, he stressed that the media must ne fair, accurate and balanced in its coverage to keep abreast with its foreign counterpart.

He said the major challenge of the Asian media is the expansion of the global media, which has provided consumers with wider choices, and the proliferation of local or international alternative online news.

"How fast an unfolding local event is covered by Asian newspapers will be critically compared to the foreign media. How accurate, balanced, and fair the reporting and analysis of the local media will all count in the competition with the overseas press.

"The discerning Asian will turn to international reports or to alternative news resources if the Asian media is judged to be slow in delivery and poorer in credibility," he added in his address at the Agenda Asia Conference in Kuala Lumpur. The conference was attended by some 300 local and international participants.

Ong, who is also housing and local government minister, said Asia's media agenda must be driven by an "overwhelming sense of duty and service to the people".

"Only by doing so can we hope to build the kind of community for ourselves in which all of us can take pride," he added.

Critics have accused MCA of restricting media freedom following its acquisition of two Chinese dailies in May 2001 amid strong objection s from the community.

The party also controls the country's leading English daily, the Star .

Political repression

Meanwhile, Ong also noted that political repression is another challenge confronting the Asian region.

"Domestic political repression and violent social discord are all too common. Religious extremism and terrorism have spread to the region and the damage that these militants can accomplish is now of utmost concern," he said.

However, the minister added that one must not be "overly discouraged" by the lack of progress on these fronts as long as the people persist to achieve economic efficiency and sustainable development together with full social justice.

He said many Asian countries have begun the first step by laying sound economic foundations with export surpluses and net direct foreign investment.

"What needs to be given more attention are details, to improve productivity, encourage innovation and entrepreneurship, and move towards political, social and economic reforms," he added.

The minister also countered the claims by Western political commentators that Asian countries are "clinging to outmoded and undemocratic practices, poor governance, practising cronyism and nepotism, religious intolerance, environmental degradation and ignoring universal human rights".

He said the region's progress has been "more incremental" on the political and social fronts while change does not come overnight.

"Many of these criticisms are made by countries that have themselves, until relatively recent times, openly practised the very things that they now accuse Asia of doing," he added.

Ong also called for greater regional cooperation in education to expand educational opportunities at all levels where its quality must be upgraded and content regularly revised.

The one-day conference was jointly organised by the Asia News Network (ANN) and the German-based Konrad Adenauer Foundation.

ANN is a network of 14 national daily newspapers published in Asian cities and serves as a network for cooperation and to optimise coverage of major news events in the region.

The 14 are The Daily Star (Bangladesh), China Daily (China), The Statesman (India), The Jakarta Post (Indonesia), Daily Yomiuri , The Yomiuri Shimbun (Japan), Sin Chew Daily , The Star (Malaysia), The Daily Inquirer (Phillippines), The Straits Times (Singapore), The Korea Herald (South Korea), The Island (Sri Lanka), The Nation (Thailand) and Vietnam News (Vietnam).