SINGAPORE - Singapore did not block the airing of Radio Television Malaysia (RTM) news to Singapore households.

Rather, it was RTM that had encrypted signals to ensure that its coverage of the Commonwealth Games was confined to Malaysia only.

"It seems like the mystery of the alleged blocking of RTM1 news by Singapore is, in fact, the encryption of signals by RTM," said Singapore's High Commissioner to Malaysia, Mr Ong Keng Yong, in comments provided to the New Straits Times yesterday.

Mr Ong's statement addressed Singapore viewers' complaints that RTM1 broadcasts had been blocked from their homes.

Earlier this week, Malaysian Broadcasting Department technical services director Abdul Wahid Hamid explained that some blockage of RTM1 broadcasts had occurred. But this was to protect the broadcasting rights for the Commonwealth Games in Glasglow.

Claims that the Singapore government had blocked coverage of the violence in Gaza were unfounded, he added.

Mr Ong also denied that the blocking had anything to do with Singapore's stand on the Gaza issue because it was allegedly pro-Israel, according to the New Straits Times.