Singapore Newspapers

Online Newspapers

 * Newspapers at the National Library of Singapore - digitized current and historic Singapore and Malaya newspapers
 * OnlineNewspapers.com
 * ABYZ News Links

History of Newspapers in Singapore
The government did not normally censor the press in Singapore, but it owned the radio and television stations and closely supervised the newspapers. Under the Newspapers and Printing Presses Act (NPPA), passed in 1974 and amended in 1986, the government could restrict - without actually banning - the circulation of any publication sold in the country, including foreign periodicals, that it deemed guilty of distorted reporting. These laws provided the legal justification for restrictions placed on the circulation of such foreign publications as the Asian Wall Street Journal and Time magazine's Asian edition in 1987. The government also restricted the circulation of Far Eastern Economic Review and Asiaweek in 1987 for "engaging in the domestic politics of Singapore."

Singapore had seven daily newspapers at the end of 1987: two in English, The Straits Times and The Business Times ; three in Chinese, Lianhe Wanbao, Shin Min Daily News, and Lianhe Zaobao ; one in Malay, Berita Harian ; and one in Tamil, Tamil Murasu. With the exception of the Tamil Murasu, all were published by Singapore Press Holdings Ltd, a group that comprised Singapore News and Publications Ltd, the Straits Times Press Ltd, and the Times Publishing Company. Daily newspaper circulation in 1988 totaled 743,334 copies, with Chinese language newspapers accounting for the highest number (354,840), followed by English (340,401) and Malay (42,458) newspapers.

Today there are a total of 16 newspapers in active circulation in Singapore, of which three are distributed for free. Some of these also carry supplementary tabloids sold together with the main spreadsheet, such as Digital Life, Mind Your Body, and Urban distributed with The Straits Times.

Newspapers at the Singapore National Archives
The Singapore National Archives has several newspaper collections available online digitally through NewspaperSG and on microfilm in the Southeast Asia Collection at the Lee Kong Chian Reference Library. The following collections are some of the newspapers available on microfilm:
 * Berita Harian (1970-present)
 * Berita harian Malaysia (1957-1970)
 * Idaran Zaman/Edaran Zaman (1920-1930)
 * Indian(1935-1941)
 * Indian Daily Mail (1946-1956)
 * Jawi Peranakan (1881-1895)
 * Kerala Bandhu (1945-1964)
 * Lembaga Melayu (1914-1931)
 * Majlis (1953-1955)
 * Malayasia Malayali (1964-1977)
 * Melayu Raya (1950-1953)
 * Navjiwan, National Punjabi News (1955-1976)
 * Singai Nesan Tamil Journal (1887-1890)
 * Singapore Chronicle (1827-1837)
 * Straits Observer (1874-1897)
 * Straits Times Overland Journal (1869-1881)
 * Tamil Malor (1964-1980)
 * Tamil Murasu (1936-present)
 * Tamil Nesan (1960-1976)
 * The Singapore Free Press and mercantile Advertiser (1835-1942)
 * The Singapore Free Press (1925-1962)
 * The Straits Times (1845-present)
 * Utusan Melayu & Utusan Zaman (1939-1998)
 * Warta Malaya (1930-1941)
 * Warta Negara (1958-1963)

Newspapers at the Family History Library
To find newspapers and compilations available in the Family History Library, look in the Place Search of the FamilySearch Catalog under:

SINGAPORE - NEWSPAPERS