LETTER: The Straits Times came into existence in 1845 before changing its name to New Straits Times (NST) years later.
And that was 175 years ago! Very few institutions can have such scale of longevity. Economic downturns, wars and political upheavals which come and go do play a crucial role in the survivability of institutions.
The Straits Times has reported the Great Depression of 1929 before reporting about the Asian Financial Crisis in 1997-1998, the global financial crisis in 2008 and now the Covid-19 pandemic as NST.
The First World War 1914-1918, the Second World War 1939-1945, the Cold War 1945-1991 and many other world-shattering events were thoroughly covered by its generations of competent journalists and reporters.
The publication is still keeping readers informed of events of the day. For an institution to survive for so long, still relevant and standing strong today must have in itself inbuilt strength and robustness.
The institution itself knows how to play its role in the midst of a changing Malaysia. One ex-prime Minister openly told reporters that among the newspapers placed on his desk everyday, the first he took to read was NST.
I myself have been writing for the NST since 1988. The first article written with my ex-colleague Dr Sharifah Barlian Aidid on Academic norms and culture was put on the Op-Ed page in the issue of 19 April 1988.
Sharifah was so happy that she bought eight copies of the newspaper for keeping. We are not the only ones. Many have tried their best to get their write-up to be published in NST over the years.
NST has a strict vetting system. The publication does not simply publish anything that is sent. It maintains rigorous standards for news dissemination. That, among other factors, makes it a strong news source.
We wish NST all the best in years to come and we are proud that in Malaysia we have a national newspaper and media organisation that has truly stood the test of time.
DR KOH AIK KHOON
FORMER ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF UKM
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times