Under The Angsana Tree: "Death is cheap and staying alive costly"

New Paper editor regrets frontpage headline seen as insulting

The New Paper editor Dominic Nathan has expressed regret over its front-page report on crime in Malaysia being regarded as insulting.

In his response to a query from Bernama, he said, "We regret that The New Paper's page 1 headline was read as being insulting.

"It was not our intent. We wanted to draw our readers' attention to the threat of gun violence in Malaysia.

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In Malaysia: ...Death: $, Life: $$$

KILLED: Banker Hussain Ahmad Najadi was shot dead on Monday afternoon

Death is cheap in Malaysia, it seems.

All it takes to hire a hitman across the Causeway is RM$5,000, or about S$2,000.

A Kuala Lumpur-based private investigator (PI), who wanted to be known only as Mr Jay, 45, told The New Paper on Tuesday that it did not cost much to hire an assassin in Malaysia.

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The New Paper headline misleading: Malaysia foreign minister

This picture taken on July 29, 2013 shows Malaysian forensic police carrying the body of late Arab Malaysian Banking Group founder Hussain Ahmad Najadi after he was shot dead in a parking lot in Kuala Lumpur. Malaysian police said Tuesday they were hunting suspected contract killers after the bank founder was gunned down in broad daylight

AFP News - This picture taken on July 29, 2013 shows Malaysian forensic police carrying the body of late Arab Malaysian Banking Group founder Hussain Ahmad Najadi after he was shot dead in a parking lot in Kuala Lumpur. Malaysian police said Tuesday they were hunting suspected contract killers after the bank founder was gunned down in broad daylight

Malaysia's Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman regrets that Singapore tabloid The New Paper (TNP) published what he claimed was a misleading and sensational headline, alleging that assasination is cheap in Malaysia, according to Malaysia’s Bernama news agency.

He was referring to a TNP article dated 31 July titled "Welcome to Malaysia Where.... Death is Cheap and Staying Alive Costly”

The article also stated it took only $2,000 (RM5,000) to hire a hitman.

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Hurtful report

Singaporean tabloid’s headline news on cheap hired killers in Malaysia could hurt bilateral ties, says Deputy Home Minister

A Singaporean tabloid story on the availability of hired killers for only RM5,000 in Malaysia has upset Deputy Home Minister Datuk Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar. When contacted yesterday, Santubong MP Wan Junaidi questioned the motive behind its publication.

He was clearly irked by The New Paper front-page news report on July 31 headlined `Welcome to Malaysia where … Death is Cheap and Staying Alive is Costly’.

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Malaysia unhappy over misleading headline in Singapore’s The New Paper

A headline in Singapore's The New Paper has drawn the displeasure of the Malaysian government which claimed the paper had published a misleading and sensational headline alleging that assasination is cheap in Malaysia.

Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman in a statement today said the headline was mischievous and had conveyed the wrong impression on the security situation in Malaysia.

"We call on The New Paper not to sensationalise any item that could have detrimental effects on any party," he said

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Suck up Singapore’s slam on safety, says Kadir Jasin

Singapore has been criticised by some Malaysian newspapers that make running down the Republic their daily bread and butter but it’s time to ’fess up and admit the Republic has a point, argues a former editor of a newspaper

Datuk Kadir Jasin, who used to head the New Straits Times, questioned what was so wrong about a Singapore newspaper writing negative things about Malaysia

The New Paper, started by Singapore Press Holdings a quarter of a century ago, had carried a story on Wednesday with the headline "Malaysia, where death is cheap and staying alive costly".

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Shootings May Impact Tourism Says Nazri Aziz

Touching on a report titled "Welcome to Malaysia where...Death is Cheap and Staying Alive Costly" in Singapore's The New Paper, he said the newspaper could not be blamed for their opinion.

"If we ourselves are fearful, you cannot blame them. I feel it's a fair report. It's not something against us, as Singapore also sells tour packages to Johor such as Legoland and Hello Kitty. This is something that affects them as well," he said.

Mohamed Nazri said the Immigration Department's move to shorten the visa on arrival period from 90 days to 14 days for certain nationalities was in the interest of national security.

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Malaysia, "Where death is cheap and staying alive costly

A Malaysian visitor to Singapore snapped this pic at a busy interchange

We know the Singaporeans are kiasus but surely there's a line of decency that good neighbors don't cross. You don't, for example, advertise your neighbor as a country where "death is cheap and staying alive costly". For The New Paper to publish a front-page story this way about our country is uncalled for. Perhaps they want to make their own people and potential tourists forget that Singapore is where a cop just brutally murdered a father and his son for a few dollars more [Singapore cop charged over double murder, July 17] but it should not be at our expense or good bilateral ties."

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Singapore Media Chided For 'Mischievous' Headline

The Malaysian government regrets that The New Paper of Singapore has published a misleading and sensational headline alleging that assasination is cheap in Malaysia.

Foreign Minister Anifah Aman in a statement yesterday said the headline was mischievous and had conveyed the wrong impression on the security situation in Malaysia.

“We call on The New Paper not to sensationalise any item that could have detrimental effects on any party,” he said.

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The New Paper Report On Crime In Malaysia Is Malicious

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar regarded a statement published on the front page of The New Paper of Singapore on crime in Malaysia recently as malicious.

He said the newspaper should monitor the crime situation in its own country than to make speculations which were not true on crime in Malaysia.

"It is a malicious statement. It is better they look after their own backyard than try to be a busy body," he told reporters at a Ramadan programme here Saturday.

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Malaysia foreign minister says Singapore newspaper headline is misleading

Malaysia's Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman says the government regrets that The New Paper (TNP) in Singapore has published what he describes as a misleading and sensational headline alleging that assasination is cheap in Malaysia

He said in a statement late on Friday that the headline was mischievous and had conveyed the wrong impression on the security situation in Malaysia, Bernama news agency reported.

"We call on The New Paper not to sensationalise any item that could have detrimental effects on any party," he was quoted as saying.

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KL Snubs Singapore’s The New Paper Following Insulting Article

Malaysia condemned a newspaper in Singapore that insulted the country through an article titled “Welcome to Malaysia..Where Death Is Cheap and Staying Alive Costly”.

Deputy Home Minister Datuk Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said the article contains no actual facts, but are merely based on opinion. He said the press should contact the ministry to find out the real facts behind some of the shootings that occurred in recent years.

The shooting cases are mostly impersonal among gangsters rather than random firing on civilians, he told Berita Harian, yesterday.

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Shootings may impact tourism

Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz today voiced concerns over the possibility of a reduction in foreign tourists in the next few months if media reports on the recent spate of fatal shootings in the country continue to spread.

"The shootings just occurred and the repercussions may take a little time. I am concerned that if this situation is prolonged it may have a negative impact on our tourism industry," he said after the Padang Rengas constituency Ihsan Ramadan and Aidilfitri programme here today.

Commenting on the possible effect on tourism by the recent spate of close range street shootings he added that the Ministry would however actively promote the country by assuring tourists that the government had the situation under control

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Malaysian government condemns SPH-owned The New Paper (TNP) for misleading headline

New Straits Times, 2 Aug 2013

The Malaysian government has condemned The New Paper of Singapore for publishing a misleading and sensational headline alleging that assasination is cheap in Malaysia.

Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman in a statement today said the headline was mischievous and had conveyed the wrong impression on the security situation in Malaysia.

"We call on The New Paper not to sensationalise any item that could have detrimental effects on any party," he said. Full story
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