Sunday, December 03, 2006

Making up a quote or two

Of Mukhriz Mahathir, Media Ethics and Mercenary Editors. Every newspaper carried the piece on Mukhriz Mahathir being given that stern warning never again to criticize the PM and party president, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
But none except the NST had this purported quotes from Mukhriz:
Asked why he took so long to apologise to Umno Youth, Mukhriz said he was told to give his side of the story at yesterday’s exco meeting.
"I now wait to meet Pak Lah to personally apologise to him."

The Bernama reporter and others who covered the meeting last Thursday must be wondering where the NST reporter got that one-liner. Mukhriz's one-liner, as quoted by Bernama and the others, was:
Meanwhile, Mukhriz, when met by reporters later, said he concurred with what was said by Hishammuddin.
Asked what was he going to explain in his meeting with Abdullah, he said:
"Let that be between me and the prime minister."
The above may be trivial to someone like Zahid Hamidi, who seems concerned only with blogging ethics. But such intentional misreporting, like Kalimullah Hassan's June 11 fabrication, is meant to inflict maximum damage and is detrimental to society.
Which is why the deputy minister should take a hard look at the ethics of the current crop of pro-government mercenary editors and why he should speak up and not let Utusan Melayu go down NSTP's way.

13 comments:

  1. Anonymous11:47 am

    I have question.
    How low can a paper go ?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous12:18 pm

    From jeffooi.com

    Quote:

    "...Reading from Bernama's story, the issue of Mukhriz having to offer a personal apology to the party chief did not seem to arise. And all vernacular newspapers I scanned through had carried the same vein as in Bernama's.

    From the horse's mouth

    To clear the doubt, I thought I had better check with Mukhriz and get it from the horse's mouth on what actually transpired. And this is what Mukhriz told me:

    [It's intentional misreporting (on the part of The NST). None of the other newspapers reported that.

    When asked (by reporters) what I would say say to him (party president Abdullah), I said: "That will will be between me and him."]}" Unquote.

    =================================

    So D. Zahid, go tell that to Kalli-ular. He's the one who should heed yr advice.

    But me thinhks Kalli doesnt give a damn. He doest care two hoots abt wht you said.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous1:36 pm

    Dear Rocky

    Ethic strictly applies to NST, Star, Berita Harian and Utusan - more so NST.

    NST has been used by KaliUlar and Brendan for the last 2 years as their toys to play and to provide disinformation, lies and plagiarised articles. Taht is waht NST is good for.

    NST, under KaliUlar, is working hand in glove with Son-In-law not to defend the "I do Not Know" PM strictly but more to protect themselves by keeping the "I do Not Knwo PM" at the realm as logn as possible.

    So KaliUlar had to lies and lies - this is ethic to KaliUlar. This is how he survive all these years. That is why he got a "Leg On" through ECM Libra! A small company can take over a govenmetn owned comapny - KaliUlar you are an economic genius!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous2:12 pm

    zahid hamidi wouldn't dare. kali is more powerful than him.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous4:19 pm

    syed has been in charge for only a few days and already he is being villified and bombarded by his so=called friends in the Net. Syed, if I were you, just resign. this job is not worth it. Remember, jeff ooi is supposed to be your good friend but look what he is doing to you.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous4:50 pm

    Let's hope that the spin and and the lies had ended on Dec. 1 when our brother Syed Nazri took over the NST.

    Zahid Hamidi?

    Hmmmmmm, do I need to say more?

    Dulu Anwar, sekarang Pak Lah. Itu sajalah!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Rocky! I tgook the liberty of posting this good to read political piece by Matthias Chang which appeared in Malaysia Today, it has a lot to do with so many things wrong with this country, I hope you will post this!:

    THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

    Matthias Chang



    Is this the beginning of the demise of Umno and the Barisan Nasional government? In this episode of The Corridors of Power, Matthias Chang talks about Lee Kuan Yew’s final victory: Umno’s path to national suicide and its irreversible downhill slide into oblivion.

    Since my appointment as the Political Secretary to the Prime Minister in 2001, I had never ceased in my efforts to warn all and sundry of the impending catastrophe that awaits the Malays and Muslims in general, and Umno in particular, orchestrated by forces within and without the country. My first official effort was a paper entiled The Path To National Suicide that I submitted to the Fourth Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, on May 21, 2001. I warned the Prime Minister that, in my view, a national catastrophe would materialise within five to ten years, if not earlier, and the insidious role that will be played by Singapore in the overall scheme of things.

    In 2005, I wrote two books, Future Fast-Forward and Brainwashed For War, in an effort to warn the ummah of the geopolitical undercurrents that will subvert Islam and the inevitable wars, not only in the Middle-East, but in the ASEAN region as well, specifically Malaysia. Citing Professor Thomas Barnett, the author of Pentagon’s New Map and military adviser to the Pentagon, I warned that Malaysia has been targeted for control and subversion.

    I had also warned of the coming Financial Tsunami that will devastate the entire region in 2007/2008. Unlike the 1997 financial crisis, this time around there will no longer be any safety net for the Bumiputera entrepreneurs. For those who have barely recovered from the traumas of the 1997 crisis, they would be wiped out first, followed by the next generation of entrepreneurs just inducted into the game by the Pak Lah administration. There will be no discrimination. The Chinese business community would also be decimated alongside the Malays.

    I believe Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad shared many of my concerns on the future of Malaysia and worked 24-7 for almost three years to ensure that Malaysians will have an even chance to meet and overcome the challenges. He was persuaded by some trusted party stalwarts that Pak Lah could be entrusted with the Captaincy to keep the Malaysian ship on an even keel. Tun had his doubts though, but they were insufficient to overcome the sentiments expressed by his trusted lieutenants in the party hierarchy. Had Tun appointed another candidate, he would not have enjoyed the confidence of these party stalwarts and party unity could not have been assured.

    The seven months preceding Tun’s retirement bore ill omens. There were already signs and signals that Singapore was treating Tun Mahathir as a lame duck and laying the groundwork for a strategic advantage over Malaysia. Singapore assets were slowly emerging from the woodwork and a web of intrigue was being woven for the Post-Mahathir Era. Given the status quo, there were not much Tun could do or change, save to place his confidence and faith in the patriotism of Umno and in his trusted lieutenants to safeguard the country’s crown jewels. He truly believed that Umno had matured into a party of principles, had confidence in its abilities to ascend to the next level of excellence, and would not succumb to the mentality of blind loyalty or be easily seduced by cheap promises of financial gain.

    The economic cake has expanded beyond recognition and it can be said without hesitation or fear of contradiction that Malaysians could “cari makan”. There was a collective pride in our country’s achievements. Tun would be the first to admit that social engineering is not an exact science, and as there is no standard blueprint or textbook that can be followed, there will be mistakes. There have been much criticisms of the NEP, but from the standpoint of the Malay community, they had come a long way. They had every reason to be proud of their achievements.

    Malaysians appreciate the inherent danger of wealth and income disparities between communities and the ugly consequences should inequality persist. The last 35 years have been a collective effort to address this volatile issue and we can say with pride and confidence that we have achieved a significant measure of success. But more needs to be done. Before his retirement, Tun ensured that the systems and structures which the government had put in place would continue to function efficiently in an effort to expand the economic cake and to maintain the intricate balance in the sharing of the nation’s wealth and prosperity.

    Unlike Lee Kuan Yew, Tun had no desire to cast his shadow over the new administration. He was assured by Pak Lah that his confidence and trust would not be misplaced. Pak Lah gave a personal undertaking. Tun’s trusted lieutenants gave similar assurances that the team would perform to expectations.

    The billion dollar question: what caused the apple cart to turn over?

    But something went wrong. In spite of the best laid plans, things did not quite turn out the way they were intended to. What happened?

    Betrayal! That is what happened. Umno has been subverted from within and without, with Singapore playing the lead role. The Zionist-Mossad modus operandi was adopted, fine-tuned by Singapore and implemented assiduously by its assets and agents in place. The first target was NST. Whosoever controls the media dictates the political dialogue and propaganda. Once in place, the spin-doctors worked overtime to demonise Tun and to discredit his legacy. Tun complained to Umno but there were no takers. It is as if Umno was wearing blinkers.

    The writing was on the wall. An Umno bastion, one that controls the English medium of political dialogue, was hijacked without even a whimper. Umno’s effective voice to the English educated Malay middle-class is now being employed to sow discord, confusion and misunderstanding -- laying the groundwork for a schism between Tun and his political constituency.

    Singapore almost succeeded. But Tun took the fight right to the doorstep of Singapore when he exposed the scenic bridge fiasco and the sand for sale scandal. The ensuing political battles spanning over eight months electrified the country. There was panic in Singapore and within the ranks of the enemies within our gates. Tun must be destroyed at all costs regardless of the consequences to the country, Umno and or the Malay community. The scheme to subvert Umno must not be derailed. And so long as Pak Lah remains in power, and assets are still in place, Tun can be cornered and quartered.

    The strategy was simple enough and, thus far, few in Umno have even understood its implications. The spin-doctors first declared that there is now a new era of press freedom. A few high profile “corruption” cases were given front page coverage. It appealed to the blood lust of the so-called aggrieved consumers for justice and their pound of flesh. When the spin-doctors next turned their focus on Tun, demonising him to the extent never seen in the history of our country, the conventional wisdom was that it was to be expected because we now have more press freedom.

    Few noticed that it was freedom to attack Tun, but not freedom to criticise Pak Lah or his administration. This is a common Zionist/Israel media tactic. Ariel Sharon, a war criminal, is touted as a “Man of Peace” but Yasser Arafat is demonised as a “terrorist”, “a man whom you cannot negotiate with”, “corrupt”, etc. Outright lies about Tun were even reported in the NST.

    Tun did not take it lying down. He counter-attacked. The credibility of Pak Lah, Khairy and the spin-doctors took a dive! Once more Singapore panicked. Drastic action needed to be taken -- a diversion, one that would provoke, if need be, blood on the streets -- to shift the focus of Tun’s criticisms. Surprise! Lee Kuan Yew accuses the Malays of marginalising the Chinese community and questions the relevance of the NEP. Why is LKY poking his nose into our affairs?

    In an article entitled “The Wayang Kulit of Pak Lah and LKY” which was carried by the Malaysian Today website I wrote:

    LKY and Pak Lah seem to be taking the Malaysian public for fools.

    The ‘LKY Apology’ indicates the desperation of the LKY regime and its puppets in Malaysia and the fear that their ‘control’ of Malaysia is slowly but surely unravelling.

    After nine months of persistent criticisms by Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad that Pak Lah and Khairy are mere puppets of the LKY regime and have sold out Malaysia for Singapore investment dollars, the 4th Floor Boys and Spin-Doctors are at a loss as to how to counter this devastating exposé. The wound has become gangrenous. The despatch of spin-doctors from Singapore to NST made no headway. The blood transfusion did not and indeed could not stop the massive bleeding.

    The preparation started, when Khairy played the racial card by warning Umno Youths that the Chinese would take advantage of the Malays if they are weak. Unfortunately for Khairy, the expected racial backlash did not materialise in spite of intense racial politicking. He failed to project the image of a Champion for the Malays.

    Khairy’s Singapore Masters were worried. If Khairy could not position himself as a “Champion for the Malays”, it would be extremely difficult to reframe the political issue that Pak Lah had “Kow Towed” to Singapore, to one that would show Pak Lah being in control.

    This political trial balloon was floated by Khairy but it disappeared into thin air. Tun Dr. Mahathir had scored a strategic political victory in the ongoing propaganda war.

    It was agreed that LKY would make a racial statement concerning the marginalisation of the Chinese in Malaysia by the Malays. The mass media would then orchestrate a systematic response to “Singapore’s provocation.” Pak Lah would then demand an explanation from LKY. And LKY would proffer an apology and some additional spin to further boost Pak Lah’s credibility.

    Unfortunately for LKY and his puppets, the gamble did not pay off. Alarm bells went off! The Umno General Assembly would be a feast day for Pak Lah’s critics, and if Tun manages to attend the meeting, no one could say for sure what would be the outcome.

    What could be more effective in diverting the attention of the entire country from Tun’s criticisms than playing the racial card? What transpired was ugly. It was meant to be, so that Pak Lah can then make some statements criticising the over-zealous delegates and thereby projecting the image of a moderate prime minister that cares for all Malaysians. That this was the contrived outcome is evidenced by what Khairy admitted in the Sunday Times on November 26, 2007.

    I quote in extenso:

    So we are now debating the debate. After the fire and brimstone, the invocation of supremacy, and rights, and the cries of nationalism and communalism, some people are taking a hard long look at the ethnic identity in Malaysia today.....

    After a few days of charged rhetoric it would have been too easy for the final word to merely echo the sentiments on the ground.

    But that is not leadership.

    Leadership is when you let everything that needs to be said, out in the open, but have the credibility, moral authority and courage to bring everyone back to the centre, to smooth the frayed edges, to soothe raw nerves and to turn charged emotions into a positive energy with a purpose not just for Malays but Malaysians.

    That is the leadership that we saw from the President of Umno and that must be the enduring image of the general assembly.

    The spin-doctors worked overtime to convey this political line. The Deputy Prime Minister and the de facto Law Minister, Nazri Aziz, chipped in to say that those delegates who went overboard in making racist remarks or statements will have to face the consequences under the Sedition Act. If actions were taken at the General Assembly there may be some credibility in these efforts to rein in the racists. But it was condoned and the world saw it “live” on Astro Television.

    The ultimate giveaway of this insidious strategy (i.e. a diversion) was that what was said in the general assembly was nothing new. In all past assemblies, such racist statements were common. But by allowing a “live” broadcast by Astro Television, non-Malay Malaysians were for the first time exposed to this ugliness. Khairy and the spin-doctors expected a backlash sufficiently ugly to dominate deliberations for the next few weeks, thus burying any stories of Tun and or his criticisms. Once again I quote Khairy in extenso:

    This year assembly was my eighth. I am a keen delegate to the assembly and I try to sit through as many speeches as possible, taking copious notes in every session that I attend.

    In the aftermath of this year’s assembly, I looked back at past meetings and saw nothing unusual about what took place.....

    When I checked with several other more experienced Umno figures if my impression that the debate this year was no more, no less emotionally charged than those in the past, they agreed based on historical perspectives that far outstretched time.

    That being the case, there is nothing courageous of Pak Lah to rein in the emotionally charged delegates or that he displayed extraordinary leadership in his closing address. The past assemblies were held in “private sessions”; i.e. there were no “live” broadcast and so comments no matter how ugly were confined and had no visible external impact. The same goes for the other communal based parties.

    But by allowing the Umno deliberations to be broadcast “live”, knowing full well that such display of ugly emotions were common, was provocation of the most extreme to serve a political agenda -- to improve the image of Pak Lah. When a leader is willing to put the country at risk, to have blood on the streets to save his political career, he is unfit to lead and be the Prime Minister of the country.

    These racist sentiments were broadcast “live” to the whole world. It brought untold shame on Malaysia and exposed the hypocrisy of Pak Lah’s Islam Hadhari and his “moderation”. The Barisan Nasional politicians who sang praises for Pak Lah’s “moderation” aided and abetted this hypocrisy and out-right lie.

    The rakyat have not been fooled by this insidious plot, and Umno and the Barisan Nasional will pay a heavy price at the next General Elections. Make no mistake about this. Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall. Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. Humpty Dumpty is broken and nothing, absolutely nothing, can mend it at all.

    35 years of collective effort to share the economic pie has come to nought. It is an unmitigated disaster. Instead of addressing the urgent issues of the day, to prepare for the coming financial tsunami, to defend against the inevitable onslaught against Muslims by Zionist forces, Umno under the leadership of Pak Lah and Khairy dabbled with incendiary devices, in order to perpetuate the Badawi dynasty. When blood flows on the street, whether provoked by enemies within or without, the world will hold Pak Lah, Khairy, Hishammuddin, and their clones fully responsible.

    Islam has been sacrificed for perpetuating political power. Now the enemies of Islam will say that Bush is right, the Pope is right. The threat is Islamo-facism! Islam promotes violence. Mistrust will be sown by the enemies of Islam. They will say that Muslims cannot be trusted. Pak Lah and his “loyal” supporters have betrayed Islam and Umno.

    May God forgive you, Pak Lah for the damage you have done to Islam, the ummah and Malaysia. At the conclusion of your Key-Note speech, you shouted three times, “Hidup Melayu!” You have by your recent actions “Bunuh Melayu”, “Bunuh Islam” and “Bunuh Malaysia”.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous7:34 pm

    Go to hell NST!!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous8:13 pm

    Can someone be so kind as to translate Mathias Chang's piece into a simple (yet impactful in giving the message) in BM please!!

    There really is no hope visible to me, other than sharing opinions like this with the people that matters. Unfortunately many of them will not understand Mr Chang's original posting.

    Thank you

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous8:15 pm

    Tempua,

    Please don't sent the NST to hell. I need the NST. Not to read though. I'd stopped reading it a long time ago.

    It started when Mahathir appointed conspirator Abdullah Kok Lanas to become Editor-in-Chief.

    When his namesake sacked him, I thought NST would improve.

    I was wrong. NST got worse. Kok Lanas and Kallimullah loved to write about themselves.

    I don't know if NST will change now that an old NST hand Syed Nazri was made acting GE of NSTSB.

    But as a retiree, I cannot afford to have the NST died. I hold NSTP shares as my pension fund. Now it has no value. In 2000 it was worth RM5 and 2001 up to RM7. Now it's worth less than RM2.50.

    I think it is very unfair to minority shareholders like me for the PM to appoint amateur managers and editors to run the NSTP. They have done great damage to the company.

    Maybe the merger with Utusan can save the NSTP. But I doubt because minority shareholders will be neglected again.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous8:34 pm

    This was Adrian David'a report? This guy is a useless reporter. This is what you get from worst class reporters from NST.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous9:08 pm

    Dear Rocky,
    I have stopped "buying
    NST and have changed to The Star

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous2:44 am

    nstman said at 4:19 PM:

    syed has been in charge for only a few days and already he is being villified and bombarded by his so=called friends in the Net. Syed, if I were you, just resign. this job is not worth it. Remember, jeff ooi is supposed to be your good friend but look what he is doing to you.

    Geez, what a BATU API! Better pray none of your colleagues, past and present, don't find out who you are.

    ReplyDelete