11/20/2016

AsianjournalistswaryofcomingTrumppresidency

Opinion: Asian journalists wary of

coming Trump presidency
242

Asian journalists attending Asia News Network workshop in Singapore have worried about
Donald Trump's victory in US presidency election who has called for stopping Muslims from
entering the United States. In the Reuters photo taken on November 4, 2016, Donald Trump
attends a campaign event in Wilmington, Ohio, US.

Marisa Chimprabha; The Nation, Singapore

Asian journalists attending Asia News Network workshop in Singapore have

worried about Donald Trump's victory in US presidency election who has called
for stopping Muslims from entering the United States.
Donald Trump won the US presidency despite his electoral campaign policies
towards local minorities, immigrants as well as Muslims being regarded by many
as unacceptable or unbelievable.

He called for a complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until
the country could figure out the current situation. He appeared to prefer building
walls between the US and Mexico to prevent illegal immigration by Mexicans. His
http://www.thedailystar.net/oped/opinionasianjournalistswarycomingtrumppresidency1316740

1/4

11/20/2016

AsianjournalistswaryofcomingTrumppresidency

victory resulted in protests in many US states, including the most populous state
California.
Primastuti Handayani, managing editor of the Jakarta Post, told The Nation that
we have to respect the US election result, adding it is valid and reflected the
majority of US voters political views.
However, I personally worry about the lives of minorities there: Muslims,
Hispanics, LGBTs [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender] etc because Trump had
repeatedly made provocative comments that could divide the US more deeply. As
much as I dont want that to happen, some of my friends have already voiced
concerns about their safety, she said.
Trump needed to address this seriously. He has already said that he would be
the president for all Americans but he needs to take action to protect the
minorities and win their hearts.
The world will have to adjust to a new US global political stance. Fingers
crossed, I hope Trump can make America better, just as he promised.
Meanwhile, Ivan Angelo de Lara, web editor of Inquirer.net of the Philippine Daily
Inquirer newspaper, said that its starting to look like the year of the strongman
with the victory of Rodrigo Duterte in the Philippines, and now, Donald Trump in
the United States.
Trump won in a democratic process, but its understandable why people have
strong reactions toward it [his win]. He has been involved in various
controversies, and to say that his victory was a shock is an understatement, de
Lara said.
His immigration policy hits close to home because I have immigrant relatives in
the US. And while they have the right papers, its still of concern how US citizens
may see them now that Trump is president-elect.
It will be interesting to see what a business mogul will do with all the power he
will be handed as the leader of the worlds most powerful nation. I am just
hoping that he does well by his people and fosters understanding, tolerance and
acceptance instead of hate and abuse.
Zaid Bin Kalam, online journalist of the Bangladesh paper The Daily Star, said the
US electoral system seemed to be more controversial than Trump himself.
The American public elected its controversial new leader though a legitimate
http://www.thedailystar.net/oped/opinionasianjournalistswarycomingtrumppresidency1316740

2/4

11/20/2016

AsianjournalistswaryofcomingTrumppresidency

democratic system but there have been so many adverse comments and reactions
over the result. No one in the present world will deny the concept of democracy
because the idea generates hope. But the application of the concept of democracy
seems to vary from state to state.
Donald Trumps non-partisan background should have been welcome to people
like me who love to think outside the box, but it is not to be as we already know
the mind of the man and his intentions.
If peoples goodwill is to be reflected in the polls then why was Trump, with his
notorious and widely criticised ideas, there in the first place? He was there
because the system allowed him.
The other thing is, in a democracy the number of voices should be considered
equally with the merit of the message carried by the majority of the populace.
But the current democratic system has repeatedly failed to accommodate this and
President-elect Trump is the latest example of that [the failure], he said.

Rooting for Hillary

From Mongolia, Odbayar Surenjav, content manager at Mongol Content, said: I
personally have not been tracking the electoral process since the beginning. Of
course, I was aware of the candidates, but was not following their election
campaign and other information related to which of the candidates was best
suited for the position.
She said that she had been rooting for Hillary Clinton as a woman. Throughout
US history there hasnt been a female president and it was interesting that a
female was running for president and how people would react to it, not to
mention the reaction if she won, she said.
I was not keen on Trump because public sentiment about his campaign promises
was not appealing to voters. Many in Mongolia were following the elections and
the candidates and commenting through their social media accounts.
All in all, I had no specific interest in the elections, as they have very little
direct effect on Mongolia and its economic and political life.
The journalists had recently gathered in Singapore to attend a workshop
organised by Asia News Network, one of the worlds biggest media alliances
comprising 20 media houses in 18 Asian countries.
Copyright: The Nation/ Asia News Network
http://www.thedailystar.net/oped/opinionasianjournalistswarycomingtrumppresidency1316740

3/4

11/20/2016

AsianjournalistswaryofcomingTrumppresidency

http://www.thedailystar.net/oped/opinionasianjournalistswarycomingtrumppresidency1316740

4/4