\n<\/p>\n
Mediacorp has responded to criticism from Malaysian organisations over its drama Highway To Somewhere, which some claim portrays the country as a hub for scam syndicates.<\/p>\n
In a statement to CNA Lifestyle, a spokesperson said the production had taken care in its depiction of Malaysia and that the storyline was not meant to target any specific country.<\/p>\n
The 20-episode Chinese-language series follows a married couple played by Romeo Tan and Jeanette Aw, and four friends portrayed by Herman Keh, Seow Sin Nee, Bonnie Loo and Jasmine Sim, who travel to Malaysia and become entangled in a scam syndicate.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It ended its run on Channel 8 on Tuesday (Apr 7) and is currently available on mewatch.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The criticism surfaced earlier this month, when Lee Yong Kwee, founding president of the Malaysia Ma-Zhong Tradition Culture Association<\/span>, took to Facebook to question the portrayal.\u00a0<\/p>\n According to the Chinese-language Malaysian newspaper Sin Chew Daily, he said the drama could create misunderstandings about Malaysia among international audiences.<\/p>\n \u201cThe drama features several Malaysian tourist attractions, but at the same time portrays our country as a base for scams, which seriously damages Malaysia\u2019s national image and affects our cultural and tourism industries,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n