Last week, as a part of a project for one of our subjects, my classmates and I had the privilege of meeting with Teoh T. Hoong for an interview. For those of you, who haven’t heard of him, let me give you a brief introduction of him. Teoh T. Hoong is a journalist who was previously working for The Star. However, he currently runs his very own non-profit community newspaper that is published monthly called SJ Echo. As you may have already figured out from the newspaper’s name, SJ Echo is catered exclusively for Subang Jaya, which has a population of about 400,000. He is also one of the board members of the Children’s Wish Society of Malaysia, that helps to grant wishes of terminally-ill children, thus putting smiles on their faces.
We headed out to his office, based in one of the districts of Subang Jaya. When we reached the area where his office is based, it was a bit difficult for me to figure out where his office was. After a while, I noticed a not so prominent board that read SJ Echo. Now, when you think of a news publication office or any office for that matter, you imagine having receptionists present at the front desk to assist visitors, secretaries to assist managers and employees stationed at their desks typing away on their respective computers.However, the office that publishes SJ Echo is not like your typical news publication office.
We were greeted by Hoong himself. As we entered, I noticed his office appeared to be deserted. There was no receptionist to greet us and employees were nowhere to be seen. In all fairness, I wouldn’t call the place an office. It looked more like a bachelor’s pad to me. The place had more of a homey feel, rather than a professional working place. I could hear music playing in the background. After talking to Hoong, I found out that SJ Echo is a one man show-Hoong is the editor of the newspaper, the writer and the marketing person all-in-one. I noticed a surveillance TV right in front of his desk which he uses to monitor people entering and leaving his office. Since it was my very first interview, I must admit I was nervous and intimidated. However, after a couple of minutes of speaking with Hoong, I was no longer nervous. I was feeling very much at ease. Hoong was very pleasant and had lots to tell us.
SJ Echo was launched 4 years back. When I asked him about the factors that motivated him to start a community non-profit newspaper, he told me a couple of his mates had proposed a challenge to him to start a non-profit newspaper. Initially, he was reluctant and had turned down the offer. However, after he gave the matter much thought, he accepted it and launched Subang Jaya’s first community newspaper.
He tells us that working in the mainstream media has a lot of perks. For instance, he had more exposure to hard news stories. Also, his job as a journalist in the mainstream media meant that he had to travel alot. His job has allowed him to travel to every nook and corner of Malaysia, as well as around the globe. He shared with us some of his experiences while travelling abroad. One country he visited was Bangladesh. He told us he had to stay at a government facility that resembled a prison cell. He says, “One of the beautiful things about such poor countries is that jobs are scarce that people would do anything to make money”. However, now he says, he is content with working for a community newspaper, in which he strives to instill the ‘kampung’ spirit back to the community where everyone knows one another.
- Hoong-a self-proclaimed fan of roadside fruit stalls, tempts us with a durian seed. Source:Facebook
Like any other newspaper, it starts out empty at the beginning of every month. He receives inspiration for his stories from the residents of the community and Subang Jaya’s council. You may also spot him around the streets, taking photos and chatting up locals to get an insight into what their thinking, to get their feedback on certain matters, and to listen to their complaints if there are any. Being a monthly paper that it is, Hoong says he has to scrutinise every article and publish the best ones.
One of the biggest challenges the humble journalist says he faces is time management. He considers his work space as a ‘home away from home’, and since his job is a one man show, he has to be disciplined. Another challenge is flexibility and having to switch between roles as a resident of Subang Jaya and an editor of a community paper. He tries his best to cater to the whims and fancies of his clients, but at the same time, he edits each and every article and makes sure that anything he publishes is free from any political slander. He says his paper is for the community and has a strict policy of staying away from anything regarding politics.
Before we left, I asked him if he thinks newspapers like SJ Echo have a future in Malaysia. Initially, he is hesitant to reply, but when probed further, he comments, “Withdraw all mainstream licenses and start community newspapers. After all, most stories in mainstream newspapers are the same. ’’ After this statement, I’m sure you’ve already figured out Hoong’s stance on mainstream newspapers today.
