▁of ▁a ▁virt uous ▁cycle , ▁actually ▁intens ified ▁its ▁popular ity . ▁ ▁When ▁the ▁Asian ▁financial ▁crisis ▁broke ▁from ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁to ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁another ▁daily ▁newspaper , ▁The ▁Star ▁offered ▁huge ▁disc ount s ▁to ▁property ▁agents ▁and ▁car ▁deal ers ▁– ▁the ▁ones ▁most ▁affected ▁by ▁the ▁crisis . ▁The ▁Mal ay ▁Mail ▁could ▁not , ▁or ▁would ▁not , ▁offer ▁such ▁reb ates ▁– ▁which ▁prompt ed ▁a ▁shift ▁to ▁The ▁Star ▁with ▁the ▁Mal ay ▁Mail ▁losing ▁its ▁position ▁as ▁the ▁leading ▁class ified s ▁newspaper . ▁Once ▁readers ▁moved , ▁The ▁Star ′ s ▁massive ▁circul ation ▁ens ured ▁that ▁they ▁would ▁stay , ▁and ▁the ▁Mal ay ▁Mail ′ s ▁circul ation ▁pl um met ed . ▁ ▁The ▁Mal ay ▁Mail ▁was ▁linked ▁to ▁another ▁daily ▁newspaper , ▁the ▁New ▁Stra its ▁Times ▁via ▁its ▁holding ▁company , ▁N ST P ▁Ber had . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁turn ▁of ▁the ▁mill en ni um , ▁the ▁New ▁Stra its ▁Times ▁was ▁facing ▁increasing ▁competition ▁from ▁another ▁daily ▁newspaper , ▁The ▁Star . ▁At ▁the ▁time , ▁N ST P ▁Ber had ▁had ▁a ▁whole ▁range ▁of ▁newsp apers ▁including ▁New ▁Stra its ▁Times , ▁the ▁New ▁Sunday ▁Times , ▁the ▁Mal ay ▁Mail , ▁the ▁Sunday ▁Mail , ▁the ▁Ber ita ▁Har ian ▁and ▁its ▁Sunday ▁edition ▁Ber ita ▁M ing gu ▁and ▁the ▁late - mor ning ▁Mal ay - language ▁tab lo ids ▁Har ian