“Withdraw all the mainstream newspaper with only one national newspaper and run all community paper. After all, people wants to know what is happening around them and all the mainstream newspaper are writing on the same issues anyway,” says Teoh Teik Hoong. His vision on the future of the media industry.
“It’s not my paper, it’s the community’s paper. I’m just a typewriter” The former environmental journalist for The Star for 8 years states ‘Typewriter’ in his Facebook account. Humble as the new artist, this trained veteran journalist has travelled the world to countless number of conventions, saved three merbau trees worth RM60, 000, raised issues on Tasik Chini pollution, and lots more on serving as WWF spokesperson. But now, retracting from the big issues, Teoh zoom in to the grass root of mankind as a resident. He scrutinize every event in the neighborhood, from LRT proposed road to a boy breaking Guiness World Record to be published in community newspaper with 30, 000 copies monthly circulating Subang Jaya.
Everything about Subang Jaya concerns Teoh. “I’m the biggest ‘kepochi’ in this area.” For him to get news into the SJ Echo paper, he is often sighted at ‘mamak’ stores or some famous food stall around the corner chatting with the locals. Authorities are his resources for tip off too, from Hannah Yeoh to the inspector of Subang Jaya Police Station (03 5633 2222). He’d talk to all people from a 8 year-old child to 80 years-old veteran to know the latest update around.
Like most monthly newspaper, Teoh can’t afford to put all the articles up on the newspaper due to cost issues. Thus, the selection of news is very skeptical. Sometimes, he’d hear readers complain, “Teoh, the paper no Ummph la.” But Teoh would keep to his fundamental as a positive paper. The objective is not to complain and sensationalize the news, it is to build a better living environment. So if the problem addressed to the authorities has been solved, and most of the time quickly (within one week), ‘No point running the story.’ If the problem occurs, he’d forward it to the respective authorities (MPSJ/ Police/residents), fix it and once in a while, Teoh would publish the story to motivates the authorities for their hard work. Others, he’d run it on the Online SJ Echo.
The ‘Penang kia’ still remembers vividly the scene back in the younger days in ‘kampung’. If the smell the aroma of herbal soup travels to his nose from next door, he knows a bowl is fetching itself over accompanied with a warm smile of the neighbor.
A self proclaimed ‘shopaholic’ who can’t stop buying from the street stalls or random shop around the neighborhood. Food especially, he would be delighted to share it with the neighbors. The ideal community is to have everyone knows each other and share their life together. Thus, this paper is a platform for the residents to get to know each other.
When asked about time management, Teoh smirks then responded with a upbeat tone, “I normally sleeps at 6am and wakes up at 8am to get ready for events at 9am.” Despite the lack of sleep, he still look fresh as ever.
Surprisingly, it turns out Teoh has a strict rule on the subject of politics in the community paper. Unlike the mainstream newspaper, he never allow any element of political interest to be published. Only during the national election days to serves the community’s interest. Other than that, No means NO. Though Hannah Yeoh, Subang Jaya assemblyman, contributes her thoughts in it but Teoh would screen and take off any political hinges in it. The line is drawn very clear.
Two years ago, Teoh took up this challenge to run a community paper with absolutely no financial backing. “I think I’m crazy, I should do it,” his thoughts after two months thinking over the challenge. Today, the paper is still growing under his one-man-show (Teoh, the copywriter, the kepochi, the newspaper delivery man, and the ad sales marketing executive), people rush for the paper whenever it is out – high demand, and it is the only community paper in Klang Valley.
