EXPULSION ORDER

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32993, 12 August 1972, Page 18

EXPULSION ORDER

New row in Singapore (N.Z.P.A. Staff Corrcnpotidetil/ SINGAPORE, August 9 More than a year after the big Singapore press dispute in which two newspaper closed, four foreign journalists were expelled and four newspaper executives detained without trial, the Singapore Government has expelled the circulation manager of a leading Chineselanguage daily. Mr Kerk Loong Sing, a Malaysian citizen working for the "Nanynag Siang Pau,” left Singapore yester day after being given 24 hours notice. An executive of the news paper said that no reasot was given for Mr Kerk’s expulsion. He said that a letter from the Immigration Department had described him as a prohibited immigrant. Mr Kerk was one of the four "Nanyang Siang Pau ’ i executives detained at the height of the press row last year. He was released from I prison on December 8 and re- ' turned to work, but the | other three are still in deteni tion. The Government accused them of glamourising Communism and working up communal emotions about the use of the Chinese language and culture in multi-racial Singapore. The earlier press dispute attracted strong international condemnation of Singapore's Prime Minister (Mr Lee Kuan ; Yew), who later defended himself and his actions at the meeting of the International | Press Institute in Helsinki.