New Straits Times Press

New Straits Times Press, Penang bureau (5 August 2012)


New Straits Times Press (GPS: 5.4241, 100.32648), also called the NSTP Group, is a newspaper publisher in Malaysia. It publishes the New Straits Times, The Malay Mail, Berita Harian and Harian Metro newspapers. The Penang bureau is in Northam Road, George Town.

New Straits Times is the successor to The Straits Times. First published since 1845, The Straits Times is the oldest newspaper in Malaysia. At one time, it was the main English-language newspaper for British Malaya and Singapore. Following the separation of Singapore from Malaysia, New Straits Times was created to be a separate broadsheet from The Straits Times, which continued to be published in Singapore.

Despite its long history, New Straits Times has faced stiff competition from its main rival, The Star, which was established in 1971. The competition was especially intense at the height of the Asian financial crisis, when The Star managed to win market share against the various English-language newspapers within the NSTP Group.

The problems faced by the NSTP Group are reflected by the decision to revamp New Straits Times, into two versions - as both a tabloid-size and broadsheet, and later to discontinue the broadsheet format all together. Although this is intended to give The Star some competition, general option has it that the tabloid New Straits Times is a weak competitor. The perception that New Straits Times has descended from an esteemed broadsheet to a propaganda mouthpiece to the ruling government does not help to endear it to the general public.

Circulation of The Malay Mail has also reduced. Once the main newspaper for classified ads, it too has seen its market share captured by The Star, so much so that its circulation is now confined to the Klang Valley.

Getting there

The only bus route in the vicinity is Rapid Penang bus 103 which passes along Northam Road in front of the building.

New Straits Times Press is on the Map of Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, Penang

List of Newspaper bureaux in Penang and Newspaper bureaux in Malaysia