SINGAPORE, April 11 -- Singapore broadcaster Mediacorp has responded to criticism from Malaysian groups over its Chinese-language drama Highway To Somewhere, which some say unfairly portrays Malaysia as a base for scam operations.

The 20-episode series follows a group of friends and a married couple who travel across Malaysia and become caught up in a transnational scam syndicate, before the show concluded its run on Channel 8 earlier this week.

"While the drama addresses the global rise of scams, this subplot was intended to raise awareness of a universal threat rather than to characterise any specific destination," a Mediacorp representative was quoted by Singapore-based news outlet CNA as saying yesterday.

"The series was filmed on ...