PETALING JAYA, May 25 — Former The Star group chief editor Datuk Ng Poh Tip died at home in Subang Jaya today. She was 81.
The English daily reported her death this morning as confirmed by a former colleague and friend Michael Aeria.
The 81-year-old has been ill for some time and was warded in the ICU for more than a week. She had previously had two strokes.
Ng, a former Convent Light Street head girl, completed her Form Five education at the school in 1961.
She later graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) degree majoring in History from Universiti Malaya in 1967, and a Master of Arts in Political Studies from the University of Guelph, Canada, in 1971.
She started her career as a journalist in 1971 and made history as the country's first female group chief editor when she was appointed to the post at The Star in 1993, where she served until 2003.
She also later joined the South China Morning Post as an editorial adviser.
Aeria described his old boss as “the calmest editor I've ever seen.”
He said she was instrumental in charting the growth of the paper.
“She was one of the reasons why the editorial department did so well. She would give us room to grow and try new things. Nothing would ever faze her, even when we were running around like headless chickens.
“During my time, journalists were either mad or crazy, but she was able to take control,” he was quoted saying.
