Being able to meet Steven Gan from Malaysiakini.com and Wong Chun Wai from The Star isn't a daily affair, unless of course you happen to work at these places. A recent visit to these news companies is simply eye opening to say the least, and it is so much more fulfilling to see the work conditions of the journalists working at these places.
Malaysiakini.com
Being able to see the office that is full of integrity is something of an honour to me. To see these people work day in and out to fight for excellence is something that should be an example for all Malaysians. One of the foreign interns working there said "what makes it great working here, is that there aren't any boundaries between all of us; there isn't any discrimination of any kind for any of us." Steven showed us around and there weren't any cubicles separating anyone in the office, not even one for himself. This in itself shows how humbled he is as an editor, and as a journalist takes on responsibilities that he should do. He isn't a hypocrit thats for sure.
The Star
The moment you step foot into the lobby, you are greeted by exclusivity. It practically looks like a 5 star hotel lobby to be honest, and it doesn't stop there. The other floors at the top are similar, and before you could finish reading this, we were invited into a conference room, were given 'memorabilia' and were greeted by the man of the hour, Wong Chun Wai. Its a bit unbelievable to get the Editor in Chief to take us for a private tour, but yes he was there and was kind enough to show us around. The office here is much more dense and packed compared to Malaysiakini, but nonetheless, filled with journalists going about their daily duties.
I guess i could go on and on about the kind of work each of these companies do, and the integrity that flows through them. But fact of a matter is, one is a business, the other, a responsibility.
