PETALING JAYA: Former cabinet minister, Khairy Jamaluddin recently voiced his displeasure with the way Singaporean media portrays Malaysia, highlighting a recurring theme in his podcast, Keluar Sekejap.
According to Khairy, popularly known as KJ, these news outlets often emphasise Malaysia’s negative incidents, raising questions about whether this is mere sensationalism or part of a calculated narrative.
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KJ, who claims to be closely monitoring Singaporean media coverage of Malaysia, pointed to events such as the recent sinkhole incident in Jalan Masjid India, which quickly became headline news in Singapore’s The Straits Times and Channel News Asia.
What concerned him more than the coverage itself was the critical, comparative tone.
“Why is this happening? Is KL safe? Could this happen in Singapore? Of course not,” KJ mimicked, underscoring how these outlets often frame Malaysia in a less favourable light by drawing contrasts between the two nations.
Though Malaysia and Singapore are seen as economic rivals, KJ suggested that these stories go beyond just reporting the facts.
“But I don’t dismiss the possibility of a more strategic agenda,” he said.
“Right now, many are starting to see Malaysia as the better option for doing business compared to Singapore, which is very expensive.
“So, when these issues (sinkhole) come up, they (Singaporean news outlets) will highlight them.”
“Like, okay, Malaysia might look good, but actually, it’s still a third-world country with sinkholes!” he added.
