NST will not publish letter from Dr M’s aide

Malaysiakini – 4/7/2006 
The News Straits Times will not publish a letter written by a personal aide of ex-prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who voiced his dissatisfaction over a column which appeared in the English daily a week ago. 

When contacted, a senior editor at the NST stated that the daily had “absolute discretion in the publication of opinion letters”. 

The unpublished letter, which was written in response to a column written by the daily’s deputy group editor, Brendan Pereira, was dated June 26 - the same day the column appeared - and has since been widely circulated on the Internet.
In the letter, Sufi Yusoff, a personal aide to the former prime minister since 1998, had criticised the column, entitled ‘Turning to what works best in dire situations’, which included a commentary on Mahathir’s June 24 public meeting in Kuala Lumpur. 

Among those who were present at the controversial function were a few top opposition PAS leaders. 

The column had lambasted the former prime minister for using a formula of “tossing half-truths and known facts into a mix and allowing the combination to emit its own stench”. 

Sufi, in his letter, argued that it was unfair for Pereira to attack Mahathir for speaking at a function that the daily had not provided news coverage for. 

“This seems to be a new approach by NST and Mr Pereira,” said Sufi, adding that the daily’s deputy group editor could not justify such remarks as “he had not been present at the event.” 

Front-page report 

Sufi also added that “neither an NST reporter nor Pereira” were present at an earlier, more controversial press conference by Mahathir at the Perdana Leadership Foundation on June 7 where the ex-PM launched a blistering attack on his hand-picked successor, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. 

“Yet the NST chose to publish a front-page report of the event on its June 8 publication carrying Mr Pereira’s byline,” said Sufi. 

“In that report, Mr Pereira’s introduction was filled with commentaries and was quite descriptive in Dr Mahathir’s so-called outbursts, dramatising the whole press conference,” he said. He added that the daily, as a mainstream newspaper, had denied its readers an opportunity to independently assess the situation by not reporting the event. 

“How is it then that the group editor sees it fit to disparage the former prime minister by attacking him in a column based on an event that the NST did not even publish?” said Sufi.

In his column, published last Monday, Pereira had described Mahathir’s tirade of attacks on Prime Minister Abdullah as a “creature of habits, turning to what works best for them” when “their backs are against the wall and when they feel the have nothing to lose.” 

He had also liken such responses by politicians to footballers as they are about to shoot to score.

COVER LETTER 
Dear Sir,

Following is a letter to editor for your consideration. While the right to publish remains yours, it is my sincere hope that it would be published as soon as possible i.e. in tomorrow's edition.

Please do not hesitate to contact me at the given mobile number should you need any clarification.

Kind regards,

Sufi Yusoff
01X-XXXXXXX 

LETTER TO EDITOR 
The Editor
The New Straits Times Sdn Bhd
Balai Berita,
31, Jalan Riong,
59100 Kuala Lumpur

June 26, 2006

Dear Sir,

Re: Turning to what works best in dire situations

I refer to the above article by Brendan Pereira (NST, Monday June 26, 2006, Pg 10).

Mr Pereira has again chosen to pass comments on Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad based on an event in which the New Straits Times did not report on, although a reporter was assigned to it.

This seems to be a new approach by NST and Mr Pereira. The first, neither an NST reporter nor Mr Pereira were present at Dr Mahathir’s press conference at the Perdana Leadership Foundation on June 7, 2006, yet the NST chose to publish a front page report of the event on its June 8, 2006, publication carrying Mr Pereira’s byline.

In that report, Mr Pereira’s introduction was filled with commentaries and was quite descriptive in Dr Mahathir’s so-called outburst, dramatising the whole press conference.

It is truly a surprise as Mr Pereira was not present and even if he had interviewed other reporters who were present, he would have at least had the journalistic ethics to attribute those findings.

Likewise in today’s report, I would suggest Mr Pereira, who was not present at the event to justify remarks like; “He stuck to a formula that he has used with mixed results during his political career – tossing half-truths and known facts into a mix and allowing the combination to emit its own stench”.

The NST as a mainstream newspaper had not reported on the event. It had therefore denied its readers an opportunity to independently assess the situation. How is it then that the group editor sees it fit to disparage the former Prime Minister by attacking him in a column based on an event that the NST did not even publish?

I am not in the habit of telling how Mr Pereira should write his commentary, but I do believe that if readers are not first given a fair chance to assess a fairly reported piece of news, then passing comments may just make it seem as if Mr Pereira is tossing half-truths and allowing it to emit its stench.

Sufi Yusoff 

www.malaysiakini.com