Type Daily newspaper Editor Pook Ah Lek | Format Broadsheet Language Chinese | |
Owner(s) Sin Chew Media Corporation Berhad Founded 15 January 1929 (32208 issues) | ||
Sin Chew Daily (Chinese: 星洲日報), formerly known as Sin Chew Jit Poh, is a leading Chinese-language newspaper in Malaysia. According to report from the Audit Bureau of Circulation for the period ending 31 December 2011, Sin Chew Daily has an average daily circulation of almost 500,000 copies and also the largest-selling Chinese-language newspaper outside Greater China. It is only on Sundays that the circulation of the Malay language (national language of Malaysia) papers exceeds that of Sin Chew Daily. [4]
Contents
- History
- The Merger
- The Hua Zong Floral Trail Literature Award
- Other publications in Sin Chew Media Group
- References
Sin Chew Daily is a member of the Asia News Network.
Sin Chew Daily is circulated throughout Malaysia and neighbouring countries, in Southern Thailand, Brunei and Indonesia. It is also published and printed in Indonesia [5] and Cambodia [6] under different mastheads.
Presently, Sin Chew Daily has 53 news bureaus and six printing plants in Peninsular and East Malaysia.
Sin Chew Daily is owned by Sin Chew Media Corporation Berhad, a subsidiary of Media Chinese International Limited.
History
Sin Chew Daily is founded on 15 January 1929, by Aw Boon Par (胡文豹) and Aw Boon Haw (胡文虎), founder of the Tiger Balm (虎標萬金油) in Singapore as part of the Star Almagated Newspaper formed by these two philanthropists. [7] The newspaper was suspended between 1942 and 1945.
Even after the secession of Singapore from Malaysia in 1965, Sin Chew Daily still operated with its headquarters in Singapore under the management of successors of the Aw Brothers.
In the early 1970s, to expedite the printing process, Sin Chew Daily decided to build a new plant located at its present head office premises in Petaling Jaya. With the setting up of this new plant, other departments such as the news desk, editorial, production and circulation were started. The Petaling Jaya operation became independent from the head office in Singapore.
Following the directives from the government on restraining foreigners from controlling the press, the Aw family transferred their ownership of Sin Chew Daily to Lim Kheng Kim in 1982.
In 1987, Sin Chew Daily sank into deep financial trouble. A receiver was appointed over the company. On 27 October 1987, the publication licence of Sin Chew Daily was suspended under Operasi Lalang, one of the most drastic clampdowns on civil dissent launched by the government. Tiong Hiew King, an entrepreneur from Sarawak, was moved by the dedication of management team led by C. C. Liew (present Managing Director) acquired Sin Chew Daily. After more than five months, Sin Chew Daily resumed publication on 8 April 1988.
In the early 1990s, Sin Chew Daily emerged as the best-selling Chinese newspaper, beating Nanyang Siang Pau, the leading Chinese newspaper then.
Steven Gan's independent news site Malaysiakini began with a 20 November 1997 story criticizing the practices of Sin Chew Jit Poh. The newspaper had doctored a photograph of Malaysia's ruling party to remove Anwar Ibrahim, who had recently been imprisoned for corruption. According to BBC News, the Malaysiakini report led to "worldwide infamy" for Sin Chew Jit Poh, and the newspaper later issued a public apology.
The Merger
On 29 January 2007, the merger of Sin Chew Media Corporation, Hong Kong Ming Pao Enterprise Corporation and Nanyang Press Holdings was announced.
On 30 April 2008, the newly formed Media Chinese International Limited (MCIL) unprecedentedly listed on both Bursa Malaysia and Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
After the merger, MCIL is now the largest Chinese newspaper group outside mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. [8]
On 27 June 2009, MCIL clinched the National Mergers and Acquisitions Award 2009 for The Most Innovative Deal of the Year.
The Hua Zong (Floral Trail) Literature Award
As part of an effort to encourage the Chinese community to develop a love for its culture and language, Sin Chew Daily has instigated a host of cultural events, one of its highlights being the Hua Zong Literature Award (花縱文學獎), established in 1991.
The inaugural literary award was named as the Sin Chew Daily Literature Awards. Renowned Singapore artist Tan Swie Hian created the bronze sculpture "Hua Zong" as a prize for the award winner. Thus the literary award was renamed "Hua Zong" or Floral Trail Literation Awards.
Hua (花） means flower, but it also shares the same pronunciation with Hua (華）meaning Chinese, this new adopted name bears the significance of connecting worldwide Chinese through literature.
More than a decade later, it is now recognized by the Chinese Communities around the world as a major literary award, and has been pivotal in fostering Chinese Literature in Malaysia. Many Malaysian Chinese writers who have made a mark in the literary world were once nurtured and inspired by the Award.