The international television network CNN has conducted an interview with Dr Chee Soon Juan during his recent visit to Hong Kong on the news programme Talk Asia.
Talk Asia is a “highly informal, one-on-one chat show that offers a personal look at Asia’s most interesting people.” The network adds that “since the show launched in May 2001, it has featured a veritable who’s who of high profile guests, including South Korean President Kim Dae-Jung, Singapore Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew, Golf Superstar Tiger Woods, Pro Basketball Star Kobe Bryant and Entertainers ranging from Coors and Enrique Iglesias to Master Illusionist David Copperfield.”
CNN has yet to announce when Dr Chee’s interview will be aired but says that it usually airs interviews within 3-4 weeks after their recording. This website will carry the announcement of the date of the interview.
Talk Asia’s anchor Ms Lorraine Hahn did the lengthy interview with the SDP secretary-general Dr Chee who was on a five-day visit to Hong Kong last week.
Not long ago, Singapore’s Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew was also featured in the Talk Asia programme. But before the popular programme went on air, the government-owned Singapore Cable Vision, took out prominent newspaper advertisements showing Mr Lee’s huge photograph to urge viewers to look out for the scheduled news programme.
In keeping with their submissive role as the mouthpiece of the government, the local newspapers ran lengthy reports the day after Mr Lee’s interview appeared on international news network. The interviewer was also Ms Hahn.
Since Dr Chee’s interview will be shown on CNN’s top news programme Talk Asia, can viewers in Singapore expect Singapore Cable Vision to show the same enthusiasm by taking out newspaper advertisements about the popular programme? If this is too much to expect, at least can Singaporeans look forward to the local newspapers to report on the interview after its telecast? Or is this also another vain hope of Singaporeans who are starved of alternative views?
Now that the PAP government is busy with remaking Singapore and ‘slaughtering the sacred cows’ alternative views from the Opposition will go a long way to take our republic confidently into the new millennium.