By Kuik Cheng Kang, Sin Chew Daily

The image of two Year One students, one Chinese and one Malay, walking hand in hand into the school is not just a reflection of the innate truth, beauty, and kindness within humanity; it’s also a profound revelation. The innocence and purity exhibited by these children stand as a rebuke to the adults who have long been ignorant, intolerant, and malicious towards the Chinese and Indian communities. Such innocence exposes the despicable nature of shameless politicians who, under the guise of “unity,” undermine national harmony.

This sight speaks volumes and carries the power of a thousand words

This photo, hailed as the “most beautiful scene on the first day of school,” once published on the cover of Sin Chew Daily, immediately resonated, sparked discussions, and moved many.

This is where the value of Sin Chew Daily lies.

As one of the four pillars of the Chinese community, Sin Chew Daily has an obligation to stand at the forefront, shielding the Chinese community from storms and rains. When faced with major issues, it must fearlessly voice out for the Chinese community.

This year marks the 95th anniversary of the founding of Sin Chew Daily. We will continue to stand with the Chinese community, joining hands with other Chinese Associations, Chinese businesses, and Chinese educational institutions to safeguard this diverse land of Malaysia. As the rate of ethnic Chinese population declines, we need wiser leadership to ensure the coexistence and prosperity of all ethnic groups, staunchly resisting the zero-sum game of mutual harm.

Since its establishment in 1929, Sin Chew Daily has never remained stagnant in the flow of history because standing still has never been an option for us. Sin Chew Daily has always played the roles of observer, recorder, reporter, as well as guiding readers to seek the truth, advise those in power, and defend the rights of Malaysian Chinese.

At the same time, Sin Chew Daily is also the guardian of this blessed land of Malaysia.

As the Editor-in Chief of Sin Chew Daily, I hope to see people of all ethnicities living and working happily together, mutually prospering, tolerating, respecting, and supporting each other. Therefore, I have incorporated this philosophy into our editorial policy.

Since assuming the role of Chief Editor in 2016, I have felt a great sense of responsibility and immediately began to reorganize the editorial policy, clearly stating our editorial philosophy.

The editorial policy of Sin Chew Daily is outlined as follows:

• A newspaper founded on the principle of integrity, committed to defend the truth 
• Uphold conscience and values to inspire the society in sharing and spreading the caucus of constructive ideas 
• Ardently promoting and disseminating positivity
• Embracing the Chinese community and speaking for the people
• As a bridge that unites all in this country 

The editorial team adheres to these principles, which are reflected in special sections such as “Warmth Power,” “Seeking Truth” and “Kita.” These principles also guide our daily news coverage. I have also taken the initiative to contact the editors-in-chief of four other local newspapers and television stations to form a media alliance, collaborating to plan, interview, and report on news and special topics, sharing resources to bring readers more comprehensive and in-depth content with a national perspective. The media in this alliance include Sin Chew Daily, The Star, Sinar Harian, Astro Awani, and Malaysia Nanban.

These five media outlets, with their credibility and innovative thinking, complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses through resource sharing. We believe that this cooperation will take us further and bring readers richer and more professional news content.

Sin Chew Daily is different from other language newspapers. We are not only committed to disseminating information and reporting on political, economic, cultural, and educational issues of concern to the Chinese community but also bear the mission of inheriting Chinese culture and reflecting the sentiments of the Chinese community.

I look forward to Sin Chew Daily going further and achieving sustainable operation for a hundred years. I also hope that Malaysia will no longer see racial and religious disputes, and people of all ethnicities will work together for economic prosperity, rather than squabble over pseudo-issues every day.

On the other hand, since the rise of new media, traditional media outlets are now fighting for survival. Once, everyone thought that digitization was the future of media. However, today, media professionals have finally realized that they cannot find a lot of gold on new media platforms. The gold has been taken away by the technological giants behind these platforms, leaving only scraps for the media outlets that use them.

This is sad, and it’s also a dilemma for media practitioners.

What’s even sadder is that many media personnel, after shifting to online platforms, sacrifice media professionalism and ethics by resorting to sensational or salacious headlines or content to attract readers for traffic. They believe that traffic will bring higher income, but in the pursuit of traffic, they lose the dignity and integrity that media professionals should possess.

After taking over the management of Sin Chew Online, I strictly prohibit colleagues from engaging in vulgar or pornographic content and constantly remind editors not to sacrifice the credibility of Sin Chew Daily for traffic. A reputable media outlet should attract traffic through quality content and the fastest delivery of major news that readers care about, rather than resorting to underhanded methods.

For me, traffic generated by gossip or sensational content, if it cannot be turned into gold, is nothing more than bringing home a pile of garbage. Brands with requirements and values will not invest heavily in such media outlets to avoid tarnishing their own reputations. Parents will also not feel comfortable bringing such newspapers home for their children to read.

I have repeatedly emphasized on many occasions that the media must have a soul, vitality, and values. Credibility is the lifeblood of the media. Media workers should create value for the media they serve, strengthen their credibility, be the beacon of society, rather than drifting with the tide in the sea of the internet, losing themselves.

In today’s world where fake news and deep fakes abound, where fraud cases are rampant, and where misinformation is pervasive, society needs reliable and proactive media more than ever. However, quality media also need money to support themselves and their families.

Therefore, with operating costs continually increasing, we were forced to adjust the retail cover price of the newspaper again on April 1 this year, from RM2 to RM2.50 （West Malaysia).

This year marks the 95th anniversary celebration of Sin Chew Daily. In another five years, we will turn 100.

At the Sin Chew Media Chinese New Year gathering and the 95th anniversary celebration dinner in February, the President of the Federation of Chinese Associations Malaysia (Hua Zong), Tan Sri Goh Tian Chuan, called on the Chinese community, including individuals, families, companies, and organizations, to continue giving strong support to Chinese newspapers, including electronic editions, by purchasing newspapers or subscribing to them online with practical actions, thus embodying the spirit of “shining a light for every copy of the newspaper,” to support Chinese newspapers and Chinese-language newspapers in our country.

Tan Sri Goh Tian Chuan’s call is timely because we cannot afford to let more Chinese newspapers close or cease publication, heading towards the end of history.

What would it be like if one day Chinese newspapers disappeared because they couldn’t sustain themselves? 

When the ink on the printing press dries up and newspapers become purely digital, will they still have influence?

In the past, Chinese association events were frequently covered by numerous reporters from Chinese newspapers. Today, such coverage has become a rarity, with instances where not a single reporter is present. Should Sin Chew Daily lose its capacity to dispatch reporters for on-site coverage, it would result in a significant gap among the four main pillars of the Malaysian Chinese community. Would this serve the interests of the Chinese community?

How far can a Chinese community progress without the support of Chinese media? I hesitate to draw a conclusion; only history will provide the answer.

The theme of Sin Chew Daily’s 95th anniversary celebration is “Together We Protect.” What are we protecting and safeguarding ? Protecting Malaysia, the Chinese community, our mother tongue education, social justice, cultural heritage, human warmth, and journalistic ethics.

Sin Chew Daily will persist until the very end. 

Likewise, if members of our Chinese community value Chinese newspapers and recognize the significance of Sin Chew Daily, I urge you to heed Tan Sri Goh’s call.

I implore the Chinese community to accord their unwavering support to the Chinese media, notably Sin Chew Daily. It is imperative that we preserve and sustain the vitality of Chinese newspapers. From this day forward, I beseech you to consider advertising in Sin Chew Daily, be our print or digital subscribers and, most importantly, instill in our children the profound significance of reading newspapers and staying informed about current affairs.

Let us work together to contribute our efforts to safeguarding and developing Chinese-language media.