Information and Communications Minister Lee Boon Yang told a Singapore Press Club lunch an increased foreign media presence was important in the tiny island nation's plans to become a global media hub.

"We need to bring the international media to Singapore ... we must do more to anchor and attract other industry players to come here," Lee said.

But Lee highlighted an article by Australian writer Michael Backman in the local Today daily newspaper last month, which called for more domestic media freedom, to reassert Singapore's position that foreigners must stay out of its politics.

"By attacking the government's media policy and urging the adoption of the Western model, he had clearly crossed the line and engaged in our domestic politics," Lee said.

"Over the years the government has adopted a more consultative approach and encouraged freer debate on national issues and politics in the media and many different fora.

"But one OB (out of bounds) marker which remains firmly in place is the requirement that foreign journalists stay out of Singapore's politics."

The Singapore government clearly states the local media must engage in "nation building" and is not allowed to be a Western-style "fourth estate" that drives national agendas.

Lee argued that restricting the foreign media's activities in Singapore would not necessarily deter them from basing themselves in the city-state.

"Our success in attracting and anchoring foreign media to Singapore in the past 20 years strongly refute such concerns," he said, saying there were 85 news agencies and broadcasters based here.

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