Almost three decades on, I still have that article, along with my Star tag, reporter’s call card and copies of my published articles during my two years with “the people’s paper”.
As soon as my final results were out – with a first class honours – I confidently put in one job application. I grew up reading The Star and dreamt of seeing my name in the paper. As a cadet reporter assigned to the News Desk under the leadership of Chua Yew Kay, I covered almost everything under the sun. I somehow escaped “crime” and “courts” beats.
I was star-struck many times coming face-to-face with Hong Kong celebrities, including Alan Tam, the late Anita Mui and Simon Yam. They were often in Malaysia for performances and charity events. . Back then in my early 20s, I hardly had the chance to travel, let alone fly in an aeroplane till The Star sent me to Penang in 1992 to do a feature on anti-narcotics campaign in schools. In early 1993, I flew in a military aircraft with the guys to Haadyai, Thailand, to report on the 12th Thai-Malaysia Air Exercise. That same year, I treated myself to a trip to London and Moscow with a group of women journalists.
No longer the people's paper. At best, a Tabloid At worst, a MCA's propaganda