- New Straits Times
-
Not to be confused with The Straits Times, the Singaporean newspaper.
New Straits Times 
Type Daily newspaper Format Tabloid Owner Media Prima Publisher New Straits Times Press Founded 1845 (as The Straits Times
1965 (as New Straits Times)Political alignment Right wing,
pro-governmentLanguage English Headquarters Balai Berita 31, Jalan Riong,
59100 Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaCirculation 200,000 Official website nst.com.my The New Straits Times is an English-language newspaper published in Malaysia. It is Malaysia's oldest newspaper still in print (though not the first[1]), having been founded as The Straits Times in 1845, and was reestablished as the "New Straits Times" in 1965. The paper served as Malaysia's only broadsheet format English language newspaper. However, following the heels of British newspapers The Times and The Independent, a tabloid version first rolled off the presses on 1 September 2004 and since 18 April 2005, the newspaper is published only in tabloid size, ending a 160-year-old tradition of broadsheet publication. The New Straits Times currently retails at RM1.20 (~36 USD cents). On 11 November 2011, 3D publication was introduced to the paper's print and online editions.
The New Straits Times is printed by the New Straits Times Press, which also produced the English language afternoon newspaper, The Malay Mail, until 1 January 2008, as well as assorted Malay language newspapers, most notably the Berita Harian. The New Straits Times is part of Media Prima group of companies.
As of 1 January 2009, the Group Editor of the New Straits Times is Syed Nadzri Syed Harun, while Kamrul Idris Zulkifli is Deputy Group Editor. Executive Editors, as of 1 January 2009, Lee Ah Chai (News) and Chandra Segaran (Production) and Lim Thow Boon.
Contents
Origins
The paper was originally founded as The Straits Times and covered all of what was then British Malaya, and Singapore, where it was based. This continued when Singapore became part of Malaysia in 1963, but upon its departure from the Federation in 1965, a separate paper published and based in Malaysia the New Straits Times, was established, whilst The Straits Times has continued publication in Singapore.
In 1972, The then-owner, the Straits Times Press (Malaysia) Berhad formed the News Straits Times Press (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. in a desire to meet the reasonable aspirations of Malaysians to have a majority shareholding in the company which produced the largest mass-circulation organ in the English language. An agreement was reached on 17 September 1972 between the directors of the Straits Times group and Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah for the disposal of 80 per cent of the stock of the News Straits Times Press (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd for the Malaysian interets.[2]
Incorporated sections
Tech&U
Tech&U, was first published on 1 January 1986 as Computimes, an information and communication technology (ICT) section of the New Straits Times. It was earlier published every Thursday, and in the 1990s, the section was published on Mondays and Thursdays.
In 1 August 2005, a decision was made to focus the Monday edition on the enterprise market while the Thursday edition on the consumer market.
On 1 January 2008, Tech&U became a weekly publication, available with the New Straits Times every Monday with an increasing consumer slant while keeping the pulse on the enterprise scene.
Business Computing is also related to this section. It was a weekly section on Wednesdays, published from 1999 to 2004.
As of 1 January 2010, it has been incorporated and merged into the Life and Times section. The tech section in New Straits Times appears every Monday in the Life & Times section.
Travel Times
In 1999, this weekly pullout on travel in Malaysia was published in support of the government's Cuti-Cuti Malaysia campaign. It became the Malaysian weekly newspaper pullout dedicated to publishing travel and travel-related news and features and has remained till this day Malaysia's only weekly travel newspaper pullout dedicated to tourism. The first issue was released on 6 October 1999 and the first weekly issue was released on 2 October 2000. It was published every Wednesday when it started, and it was now published on Tuesdays until 31 December 2009 as "Travel". Starting 1 January 2010, it has been incorporated and merged into the Life & Times section. The travel section now appears on Thursdays.
Business Times
The paper has incorporated the Business Times starting 1 January 2002, expanding its business section and increasing its appeal among businessmen. Prior to 1976, this is also the business section's name of New Straits Times.
Emedia
The online arm of The New Straits Times Press group. 160 years of articles and images at News and Image Bank
Other Channels
Food Gadgets Properties Travel Fashion
Life & Times
The segment was previously known as Leisure Times, Times Two and Lifestyle prior to 1994. From 1998 to 2004, the Friday edition of this segment was called Youth Quake after it was merged with the newspaper. The Saturday edition is called Weekend Life & Times, which was later known as 6, from 2005 to 2009.
As of 1 January 2010, the weekly sections in Life & Times are:
- Monday: Technology
- Tuesday: Health
- Wednesday: Style
- Thursday: Travel
- Friday: Showbiz
- Saturday: Living
- Sunday: Family
Political control and controversy
The New Straits Times has been accused of serving as a propaganda tool for the Malaysian government and its proxy owner, the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), which is a right-wing Malay political party.[citation needed]
Owing to political sensitivities, newspapers from Malaysia cannot be sold in Singapore, hence the New Straits Times is not sold in Singapore, and The Straits Times is not sold in Malaysia. The ban was imposed before the 1 May 1969 general election in Malaysia.[3] During 2005, the governments of both countries discussed lifting the ban, with Singapore's former Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew, speaking in favour of such a move, although Malaysian politicians were more wary.[4]
Comics
The comic Scenes of Malaysian Life has been published in the New Straits Times.[5]
Notes and references
- ^ Malaysia's first newspaper, the long-defunct The Prince of Wales Island Gazette, made its début in Penang in 1805. http://penangstory.net.my/docs/Abs-GeoffWade.doc
- ^ The Straits Times, 17 September 1972 page 1, National Library, Singapore
- ^ Good sentiments towards Malaysians on the rise
- ^ Still wary of lifting newspaper ban
- ^ Pilcher, Tim and Brad Brooks. The Essential Guide to World Comics. Collins & Brown. 2005. 125.
External links
Datuk Johan Jaaffar (Chairman) · Dato' Amrin Awaluddin (GMD) · Dato' Sri Ahmad Farid Ridzuan (Group CEO, TV Network) · Shahril Ridza Ridzuan · Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye · Dato' Abdul Kadir Deen · Datuk Ahmad A. Talib · Tan Sri Mohamed Jawhar Dato' Gumuri HussainRadio stations Broadcast television
networksNew Straits Times Press Production and distribution Primeworks Studios · mm StudiosAdvertising Big Tree · Gotcha · URL · TRCEvent management Big EventNew media Alt MediaAnnual revenue: 
RM · Stock symbol: MYX: 4502 · Website: www.mediaprima.com.myCategories:- Companies listed on the Malaysia Exchange
- English-language newspapers
- Newspapers published in Malaysia
- Publications established in 1965
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