Thursday, May 07, 2009

Changes In The NST

I mean, let's face it, folks, it happens all the time.

New regime, new team. Changes are inevitable.
The issue is how drastic they're going to be.

Who will go (maybe no one), who will remain (many, I'm sure).

Changes are unnerving, I'm sure. But nothing that you're not used to.

When Abdullah Ahmad Badawi took over as PM in 2003, he effected changes in the NST when he appointed Kalimullah Hassan as group-editor-in-chief.

Kalimullah, as well all know, made drastic changes. He turned NST into a tabloid, he brought in Singapore Straits Times correspondent Brenden Pereira as executive editor (later group editor) and he got Ahirudin Attan (Rocky) removed as executive editor of the Malay Mail/Sunday Mail, and went on to literally killed an institution - The Malay Mail - and wiped out the Sunday Mail from the face of the earth.

And so on and so forth..

Of course, the Malay Mail, thanks to Media Prima and Ibrahim Md Nor, was resurrected but it lost so much ground after it's six-month suspension.

At the moment, the appointment of Ahmad Talib, former NST group editor, is waiting to be officially announced.

I was at the NST the other week to hand over something to somebody. Nothing important but needed to be done for someone.

Anyway I was then invited to have teh tarik at the canteen with a close friend and a former colleague.

While having coffee, another former colleague past by, said "hi, Ena" (with a wide smile) and just as he walked behind me, remarked softly but just loud enough : "...and they're all coming back". He sounded like it was the end of the world.

I replied ..."not yet XXXXX, not yet." And laughed.

I turned to my friend and told him that SOME people could get really spooked when they see me or Rocky or any ex-NST editor around NST especially when there's talk of this and that. And that was only my third "visit" to the NST since I left in 2006. The first two was when I needed to renew my car insurance with the NST cooperative.

Anyway, after Ahmad Talib's "unofficial" appointment as NST editorial adviser, the rumour mill has been on overdrive about other ex-NST journalists going back so much so that a certain senior executive at the editorial got so worked up.

I'd say he is real worried about the imminent changes (whatever they will be), judging from his briefing to his staff.

He ranted and raved, it seems, about why people like Ahmad Talib should not dismantle what they all had worked so hard to achieve. Blah blah blah...with some very unkind expletives thrown in.

Ohh...I'm not one to bitch about people, least of all in my blog. But since changes at NST will affect my ex-colleagues, I'd like to tell this ranter and raver to not lose sleep over this.

Take it easy, my friend. Stay cool.

If you're good, you're good.

So, folks...deal with it.

Oh, did I hear you ask me about the Malay Mail.

Rocky got so many calls yesterday after the Malaysian Insider reported that he was going to the Malay Mail as CEO.

Nothing to add to that except that that's probably half the story,

36 comments:

Anonymous said...

i love the NST



john

Anonymous said...

Nuraina,

This post is full of suspense.

Was it intended? ;)

Cat-from-Sydney said...

You still at TELL? Or, are you going back to NST too? And it's 2nd floor now not 4th floor...oh well...meow! meow! meow!

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

john,

ditto, john. no matter what they say!

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

ewoon,

nothing sinister, that's for sure.

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

cat-in-sydney,

i've left Tell in December last year.

No-lah. Won't be going back (to NST).
Hahaha...some people i know are a little uncomfortable by this prospect, though for the life of me, i don't know why.

But then..., things have been known to happen to make people change their minds. But for now..no.

yes, i know. it's 2nd floor now.

CINTA suci abadi said...

ok .apun jangan lupa baca aspan alias blog http://www.aspanaliasnet.blogspot.com/
Mahathir the happiest man Final Part .

Bekas Wartawan Berita Harian said...

Wah, good post! Well if I were to walk the hallowed halls of BH, would they be thinking of another ex-journo returning? I wonder... ha ha!

No lah, I've had my share of the good times zaman dulu dulu kala. I like what I am doing now. In case anybody nak bergosip. But you, Kak Ena, YOU SHUD BE BACK THERE. Enough said.

Anonymous said...

kak ena

rehman rashid said that. yes he used maki hamun words when referring to Mat Talib. He also mentioned kak ena's name.

rehman is a problem BOY in NST and he is still a BOY not a man.

he thought he is the top dog in nst when everybody in NST hates him.

But don't worry kak ena. Rehman is low class editor in NST. Ask around if don't believe.

Ask kak shanta. she is being sidelined. we all know who rehman is.

RUTH

Anonymous said...

When Kali came in, Kali removed all the Malays. He found fault withe every one of them.

The list of Malays removed is endless but the biggest scalp made by Kali was to remove Mat Talib, Rocky, Rose Ismail & Saleh.

Mat Talib, Rose & saleh were removed to pave the way for Brendan Prereira and in the end Brendan got what he wanted and became the GE.

No single non Malay in NST accused Kali of anti malay or rascist because the Malays removed were replaced by non-malays in the likes of lionel morais, lee ah chai and chandra. Non-malays staff got what they wanted and benefit from Kali regime. The malays are sideline till today.

Now with mat talib coming back, the non Malay staff are playing their game accusing of rascist. in the dictionary, mat talib is a rascist if he promote a malay and not a rascist if he promote a non-malay.

when the malay was sideline, the non-malay was laughing at them. Brendan help their cost.

so that is life in nst and kali legasi live on. that what ah chai lionel & chandra hoping.

Anonymous said...

The MaChaChai has been passing racists remarks against Dtk A.Talib, Rocky and Asraff.

He thinks these people don not know anything about the new media and all that docomee, mocomee or sodomy stuff that he has a stake in.

Latest news is that the two short-fellas would be joining Malaysian Inspider soon, together with a few others who have been trading news with the Mullah-owned portal for quite sometime now.

For MI its just a matter of converting the current monthly allowances (yes, these buggers are not trading for free) into a salary package.

MaChaChai got money coming in from everywhere. Patutlah dia gelabah Ena.


I'mShorterThanYou

Anonymous said...

santa orrrrrrjitam was also flying high. dah landing kot.

Anonymous said...

This 'pressing' matter is best left for the management to decide.

Readership/circulation drop means revenue/advertising dwindle too.

The open bickering will certainly benefit the competitor, Suara Tengku Abdul Rahman (STAR).

Thus, a new team made up of the old team has to do another U turn to bring it back to its glorious past.

No need to wonder why changes are necessary, when the call for change has always been championed by many.

Team work is the essence of success.

A GOOD MAN DOES NOTHING.

Anonymous said...

You were invited for a teh tarek but you went for coffee instead hmm interesting girl...

Anonymous said...

Nuraina,
It's a ding dong game with you guys!Like Boy George's song "Coming in ,going out!Dont they have honour especially Rocky so gleafully hoping and praying for a job mind you?Is NST their lifeline?
Does NST owe them a living?

Anonymous said...

hello hello

santha also benefitted from brendan punya time. remember who promoted her. it was brendan and kali lah. aiyoo she was a nobody back in bernama as no one suke sama dia. and then she go on and bodek kali and brendan so she got the job.

now she also goyang because takut about her position. you ask me ah throw away both of them lah. and this woman very racist/ but i bet you when ahmad talib comes in, she would goiand hug him and bodek

Anonymous said...

talking about malays, not all were sidelined lah so not fair to say that.

zubaida was the supplements editor and she was brought back to the limelight by her good friend brendan. and zubaidah remebers the jasa of brendan and that is why she is constantly supplyinh him information

so she can join him in malaysian insider

Amita Chong said...

who reads mm or nst now. no one gives a shit.

Anonymous said...

i just want to know is it true that brendan always calls zubaidah for political information
yes or no

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

bekas wartawan BH,

me too. I love what I'm doing now.

Since I left, changes had been affected, some, I think are irreversible. Some damage there, irreparable.

So, not easy to work in that kind of environment.

Whoever takes over NST has got to do some big repair job.

NURAINA A SAMAD said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
NURAINA A SAMAD said...

anon@7:18PM,

it's always the case anywhere, i suppose -- this accusation of racism.

I've always been colour-blind. If you're good, you're good, whether you're Malay or not.

I'm remembering what my late Bapak said: "nak buat surat khabar ni bukan macam nak buat sabun...."

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

anon@7:36PM (I'm ShorterThanYou),

I gather the machaichai is ..... (my former colleague) and Rocky's former sub or soemthing...

Oooh... I'd let him be.

I know he's so scared shit. I don't think he's rattled by the prospect of me going back to NST, but I think he's very very worried about Rocky.
Don't know why? Rocky had been, er,,,,kind to him at the Malay Mail.


Ini-lah orang kata, TAK SEDAR DIRI...

My message to him : he should be worried about Ahmad Talib going there....Rocky is merciful. Haha...

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

a good man does nothing,

DITTO, Sir!

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

anon@8:25AM,

oh...everyone invites everyone for "Teh tarik"...that's a Malaysian-style invitation.

you know, i might have really had teh tarik there, and not coffee....tak ingat.

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

anon@11:13AM,

you think?

oh...don;t be silly. we're happy doing what we've doing. Rocky is happy blogging.

Rocky "gleefully praying" to get back to NST. Oh...couldn't be further than the truth.

So, don;t be stupid.

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

amita,

hate to surprise you -- but there are people who still read the NST and the Malay Mail. :-)

Anonymous said...

guys. i notice that some very deplorable language is used by certain commentators.
please do not mud-sling or resort to name calling of your former/present colleagues

peter

wee bei said...

well a day is a long time in editorial and u can all kiss mat talib good bye. best of all syed nazri has overplayed his hand muahahahahahahaha!

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

ruth,

aaah.....Rehman Rashid.
ruth,

aaah.....Rehman Rashid.
what can I say?

If he had indeed said all those things, then, kesian-lah dia.

The less said about Rehman, the better.

On him mentioning me? Let me say that he'd not dare say that to my face.

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

peter,

i have, in fact, deleted a couple of comments containing some very malicious (and unverified, i might add) "details about RR.

i agree..let's not be mean to any of the NST editors or journalists. even if they have been mean to you.

Anonymous said...

Salam everyone,

I remember an old saying:
++There have been tyrants, and murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall.++

I think this was from Mahatma Ghandi.

Anonymous said...

ini amat berguna untuk menunjukan bahawa Dtk Najib bukan-lah PM Flip-Flop. timakacih

'Kallymullah and Brandan are openly instigating a rebellion against Ahmad Talib in NSTP. The no.1 GEIC told friends over tea that he 'tak berani nak ikut cakap Kaly' but 'editors dari NST' have had a few meetings with the cospirators in Bangsar Village and Briekfields. Mereka ini juga menggunakan MalaysianInsyderr untuk berbohong konon-nya Perdana Menteri tidak bersutuju debngan perlantikan Ahmad Talip.
MI berani berbohong kerana jika Pm ambil tindakan itu akan ditohmah sebagai sekatan kebebasan.
Sebenarnya MI adalah umpama racun dlm masyarakat kita sekarang.
Kalymullah even cuba prevent Najib from becoming the PM, apatah lagi bersubahat dan berbohong demi mengekalkan kepentingan dia dan kuncu-nya dalam NST/BH.
Harap2 Dtk Johan Jaafar dan yang lain2 tak terpengaruh dgn mainan Kalymullah yang tgh takut akan bayang2 sendiri.
These conspirators won't stop at anything bcoz they have everything to lose if NST/BH is purged of foreign operatives and anti-Malay/pro-Malaysian Malaysia elements.
if ecah and every 'editor' has to endorse any incoming Editorial Advisor/GE/GEIC or Chairman, then Kalymullah wouldnt have made it even to the bus stop along jln maarof.
p/s Datk Najib should take action against anonymous articles in MI that is attributed to him. If you don't stop it now, these guys are not going stop either.
TQ.

Semambu Striker

10 May 2009 19:49

Anonymous said...

Dear Boss, it has always been the hope of some in the NST that someday you would come back! We are so so in need of people who know their work and people like you who treat her subordinates with respect and dignity. Two short-asses shouting and screaming at journalists is absolutely non-acceptable, especially since NONE of them have ever ever done any news or political reporting. It is our sincere wish that one day you would return and those juniors who think the two short-asses are gods can finally realise what true reporting and journalism is all about! Cheers!!

Bald & Beautiful!

Anonymous said...

for the record Anon 7.18, chandra took over from Png Hong Kuan, Lionel took over from Kathiresan and Lee Ah Chai took over K.P. Waran. to say that they replaced the malays is far from the truth. and Kak Ena, Im sure u too, know this. Why then this blatant lie? give it a rest la. all this crap about the nst is pure nonsense

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

anon@1:30PM,

hey...don't look at me. I'm not the one making the allegations.

what you say about chandra taking over from Png, etc...cannot be refuted.

i believe anon@7.18pm cannot refute that either.

however i don't think he is talking about that.

well...i think we know what is pure nonsense and what isn't.