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February 5, 2010 by Our Correspondent
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http://www.temasekreview.com/2010/02/05/st-quoted-poll-on-singaporeans-having-highest-trust-in-their-govt-conducted-by-controversial-pr-company/
Written by Our Correspondent
The Straits Times quoted a survey conducted by US-based PR firm Edelman today which reveals that “trust in the Singapore Government was 84 per cent.”, the highest among the 22 countries polled.
That is far higher than the global average of 49 per cent, which means fewer than one in two people worldwide trust their own government, on average.
The survey polled 200 people in Singapore and a total of 4,875 worldwide, including the United States, Britain, China and India.
“The Singapore Government’s successful track record in steering the country through global economic crises and pandemics has instilled unprecedented levels of trust,” said Mr Bob Grove, managing director of Edelman Southeast Asia.
The survey did not reveal if the 200 people polled are all Singapore citizens or if a proportion are PRs and foreigners who tend to have a favorable impression of the Singapore government. Neither did it reveal the exact questions asked for it to arrive at the highly suspect figures.
With due respects to Straits Times, it appears to be clueless about the background of Edelman which was embroiled in a heated controversy with climate activists two years ago.
In July 2008, activists from Oxford Climate action staged a protest at the London office of Edelman, alleging a massive ‘greenwashing’ campaign by the agency’s energy client E.ON. (read article here)
Several protesters gained access to the PR firm, while others climbed on to the roof to unfurl a banner. Labour MP John McDonnell stopped by to lend his support to Oxford Climate Action’s stunt.
It said the demonstration aimed to ‘highlight the insanity of investing in new coal power stations such as Kingsnorthin the face of human-caused climate change’.
The group also described Edelman as having ‘a long record of involvement with ethically questionable companies, including AstraZeneca, Wal-Mart and Pfizer’.
The Straits Times has frequently published one-sided studies to applaud the “accomplishments” of the ruling party while ignoring surveys critical of it.
For example, it did not publish International Living’s recent report on quality of life in the world which ranked Singapore at a pathetic 70th position below Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong.
It also failed to publish a comprehensive UBS study last year which revealed that Singaporeans have the lowest domestic purchasing power among the developed nations though they work the longest hours.
Of course, it did not publish the Singapore media’s miserable 133th ranking in terms of press freedom by international NGO Reporters Without Borders till Law Minister Shanmugam made a hoo-ha over it by slamming the report as “quite divorced from reality”.
The Straits Times appears to have hurt its own credibility by quoting a questionable survey “quite divorced from reality” to please its political masters.
In an online poll done on the Temasek Review, more than 90 per cent of some 250 respondents indicate that they do not trust the Singapore government.
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February 5, 2010 by Our Correspondent
Filed under Headlines
Leave a comment
http://www.temasekreview.com/2010/02/05/st-quoted-poll-on-singaporeans-having-highest-trust-in-their-govt-conducted-by-controversial-pr-company/
Written by Our Correspondent
The Straits Times quoted a survey conducted by US-based PR firm Edelman today which reveals that “trust in the Singapore Government was 84 per cent.”, the highest among the 22 countries polled.
That is far higher than the global average of 49 per cent, which means fewer than one in two people worldwide trust their own government, on average.
The survey polled 200 people in Singapore and a total of 4,875 worldwide, including the United States, Britain, China and India.
“The Singapore Government’s successful track record in steering the country through global economic crises and pandemics has instilled unprecedented levels of trust,” said Mr Bob Grove, managing director of Edelman Southeast Asia.
The survey did not reveal if the 200 people polled are all Singapore citizens or if a proportion are PRs and foreigners who tend to have a favorable impression of the Singapore government. Neither did it reveal the exact questions asked for it to arrive at the highly suspect figures.
With due respects to Straits Times, it appears to be clueless about the background of Edelman which was embroiled in a heated controversy with climate activists two years ago.
In July 2008, activists from Oxford Climate action staged a protest at the London office of Edelman, alleging a massive ‘greenwashing’ campaign by the agency’s energy client E.ON. (read article here)
Several protesters gained access to the PR firm, while others climbed on to the roof to unfurl a banner. Labour MP John McDonnell stopped by to lend his support to Oxford Climate Action’s stunt.
It said the demonstration aimed to ‘highlight the insanity of investing in new coal power stations such as Kingsnorthin the face of human-caused climate change’.
The group also described Edelman as having ‘a long record of involvement with ethically questionable companies, including AstraZeneca, Wal-Mart and Pfizer’.
The Straits Times has frequently published one-sided studies to applaud the “accomplishments” of the ruling party while ignoring surveys critical of it.
For example, it did not publish International Living’s recent report on quality of life in the world which ranked Singapore at a pathetic 70th position below Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong.
It also failed to publish a comprehensive UBS study last year which revealed that Singaporeans have the lowest domestic purchasing power among the developed nations though they work the longest hours.
Of course, it did not publish the Singapore media’s miserable 133th ranking in terms of press freedom by international NGO Reporters Without Borders till Law Minister Shanmugam made a hoo-ha over it by slamming the report as “quite divorced from reality”.
The Straits Times appears to have hurt its own credibility by quoting a questionable survey “quite divorced from reality” to please its political masters.
In an online poll done on the Temasek Review, more than 90 per cent of some 250 respondents indicate that they do not trust the Singapore government.
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