簡介：

Established on 15 Jan 1929, Sin Chew Daily is today a publishing phenomenon. From near liquidation at one time, it has risen from the ashes like the mythical phoenix to become Malaysia's best selling newspaper. Sin Chew Daily is now part of an enlarged media group which is the largest Chinese newspaper group in the world outside of mainland China.

It is also well positioned to advance into the borderless media world by embracing various media technology platforms in recent years to become the leading Chinese news portal in the country offering a wide range of editorial and media directions.

The newspaper celebrates its 80th year of publication this year. Over the last 80 years, Sin Chew Daily has weathered some of Asia's worst storms and faced the most trying of challenges.

Unlike other century-old commercial enterprises, Sin Chew Daily, apart from having to overcome competition and market pressures, has also to operate in an unconducive environment where various restrictions are imposed on press freedom and readers' right to fast, reliable and independent sources of news.

Sin Chew Daily underwent ownership change twice and it even went into receivership as well as having its publishing licence revoked by the government. Yet through it all, the newspaper managed to stay afloat and eventually rose against all odds to become the country's premier newspaper.

The newspaper embraces a simple formula for success. However, in practice, it proves to be much more complex than those used by other centuryold enterprises.

Sin Chew Daily adheres strongly to the principle of running the paper with a no-nonsense approach in conformity with universal and fundamental principles of journalism. To fulfill its social corporate responsibility, Sin Chew Daily does not resort to sensational or incendiary news reporting. Neither does it resort to tabloid journalism and invasion of privacy to sell newspapers. Although it was originally founded in Singapore, the newspaper has nevertheless over the years become firmly rooted in the country's history and identified with its aspirations, hope and sense of community.

For 80 years, Sin Chew Daily has been on a journey along with the nation; from the days of British colonialism to the formation of the Federation of Malaya, and later the formation of an enlarged nation of Malaysia. The newspaper survived the invasion of the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II and the subsequent three years and eight months of Japanese military occupation, and the bloody insurgency period of the Malayan Communist Party until its declaration to lay down arms.

Following Singapore's secession from Malaysia in 1965, the newspaper was relocated to Malaysia. The paper covered the tumultuous May 13 racial riots giving it the treatment the national tragedy warranted so that all were duly informed of that dark episode of our history.

Subsequently, as a result of its bold commentary on the government's policy in relation to Chinese education in Malaysia, its publication was suspended during a crackdown of civil liberties codenamed "Operation Lalang (Obnoxious Weed)" in 1987 by the then Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Through all the trials and tribulations that have threatened its existence, Sin Chew Daily survived to tell not only the country's story but that of its loyal readers and staff.

Our colleague, Liew Chen Chuan, or C.C. Liew, as he is more popularly known, is the country's unsung hero of journalism who has been leading the editorial team for almost half a century. He has this to say, "For decades, Sin Chew Daily has been able to surmount each and every obstacle that came along our way. We owe our success mainly to our team professional attitude and fighting spirit."

C.C. Liew has worked as a journalist under all six prime ministers of Malaysia. He is still the quintessential newspaperman while all his contemporaries have either passed on or retired.

It is indeed an irony that the shutting down of the newspaper has partly brought about Sin Chew Daily's success. The closure forced the paper to re-invent itself; not only did it bounce back but it has become the industry's leader.

It is also fortuitous that Sin Chew Daily found a White Knight in Tiong Hiew King, an entrepreneur extraordinaire, who pumped in fresh capital into the company at a time when it was haemorrhaging with so much red ink that it was almost liquidated by its creditors. But Tiong had the audacity and boldness to believe in Sin Chew Daily and in himself as a newspaper owner and unstinting financier.

The underlying strength of Sin Chew is undoubtedly its irrepressible spirit and its uncompromising ethos. As Bridget Welsh, an assistant professor in the Southeast Asia Studies Program at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies in Washington D.C. observed, "The Sin Chew community deserves to be recognised for its collective human spirit."

Today, in an era of globalisation and convergence culture, Sin Chew Daily is well positioned to continue to play its role as both a local and global media player. Its path to success is definitely worth recording.

It is the spirit of the Sin Chew team that is the genesis of this book. As the dictum goes, today's news is tomorrow’s history, hence, for those who have been loyal to their tasks, contributing their youth, passion, skills and professionalism to record the first draft of history for its readers, there should be someone else to record their very own stories as well. Lest we forget.

We are proud to present to you our story; the story of Sin Chew Daily in the light of a bigger story that is of Malaysia; our country, our home.

目錄：

• Chapter 1  |  The Ethos of Journalism
• Chapter 2  |  May 13 as We Experienced It
• Chapter 3  |  Ideological Feuds
• Chapter 4  |  Operation Lalang
• Chapter 5  |  Rising From the Ashes
• Chapter 6  |  Becoming Number One
• Chapter 7  |  The Pen and the Sword
• Chapter 8  |  Floral Trail Literature Awards
• Chapter 9  |  The Taste of Success
• Chapter 10  |  Boardroom Battles and Street Fights
• Chapter 11  |  The Fallout
• Chapter 12  |  The Monopoly Controversy
• Chapter 13  |  The Newspaperman Meets the White Knight
• Chapter 14  |  Embracing Convergence Culture