YOURSAY 'New Straits Times used to be a newspaper. It's now nothing but a rag, a mouthpiece for the BN and, in particular, Umno.'

NST to apologise for 'plot to destablise gov't' report

Kee Thuan Chye: I'm so happy for the four NGOs and their victory in the fight against irresponsible journalism.

That news report by New Straits Times was the pits in Malaysian journalism. It's so lacking in ethics that I use it in my media workshops to teach people how not to produce such gutter journalism.

The story was totally without any basis for its claims. It made sweeping statements and did not substantiate its accusations against the NGOs. Worse, it brought on the obsequious assistance of International Movement for a Just World president Chandra Muzaffar, as if what he said would be enough to back up its fantasised claims.

Well done, Bersih 2.0, Suaram, Centre for Independent Journalism and Merdeka Center! This shows that the good guys can sometimes still win.

Rajakera: NST's apology should have been published/printed at the same spot in the paper (front page) where the accusation was made.

Such further fabrication should result in its licence being cancelled. It should also apply to the Utusan Malaysia, The Star and others too.

It is disgusting how the papers do selective reporting and with a slant. These newspapers are no longer worth buying or reading.

Odin: Those cheap, low-grade toilet rolls masquerading as newspapers, stink far worse than the waste matter it is meant to clean off, and their link to Umno is an excellent reflection of the said political party - vilely dishonest.

As most of us are aware, Metro Ahad, which in May last year ran a fictional sensational story of incest being commonly practised by the Penans, has had to admit that it ran a fabricated story and to apologise to that group of people.

Another notorious one is, of course, Utusan. And some imbecile has displayed his possession of utterly useless, putrefied matter between his ears by ordering GLCs (government-linked companies) to support them by buying advertising space in them.

Not Confused: The NST and its sycophantic gang of copy writers (never journalists) are not sincere in their apology. Their fabricated article was intended to demonise Bersih 2.0 and the other NGOs.

They are totally incapable of understanding that the process of criticising the government is the raison d'etre of any opposing parties in a thriving democracy. The lack of the ability to criticise is the first step to dictatorship.

Ferdtan: Has the sanity returned to the mainstream media when they now take the hit by apologising and paying small compensation to the aggrieved parties?

Does this mean that NST will be back to its heyday where journalists and the paper was trusted and respected for their news?

In the past, arguments were settled immediately between differing parties if one was to exclaim, "I have read it in the newspaper." That was the trust of the information found in any daily in the old days.

The high stake general election and the Umno party election are over. The incumbents, both the BN and PM's men, won in the GE and the Umno elections respectively.

So for NST to move on, they have to get rid of this troubling law suit by Bersih and three other NGOs - one way or another. It is willing to go to the extent of humiliating themselves by issuing an apology.

But we know they are not sincere. I bet they will do the same thing again for its political master Umno, writing lies against the opposition, when the next general election comes around.

SS Dhaliwal: For those of you who still read NST because of a sense of nostalgia and reminiscent of a bygone era, think again - this is not the same newspaper I once read, it is no more than Umno's propaganda machine concocting one lie after another.

Out of principle at least, you should boycott this newspaper, along with Utusan and The Star.

Kairos: This latest apology by NST confirms what every right-thinking decent Malaysian knows that it is a gutter newspaper. NST has totally lost its credibility in the eyes of the rakyat.

A lot of its reporting is just hearsay and half truths published purely for cheap political gain by Umno. Indeed, in many instances in the past some articles are just downright lies. This is not only irresponsible but despicable as well.

I wonder how the editors could sleep at night knowing very well that they have published lies and are nothing more than just tools of their political masters. Clearly they have no integrity at all.

Sirach: NST used to be a newspaper. It's now nothing but a rag, a mouthpiece for the BN and, in particular, Umno.

It ranks on par with the Utusan for journalistic credibility - and that's saying something about the depths to which this once-respectable paper has sunk.

Abasir: They will pay the consequential fines happily because they know that Umno will instruct GLCs to use taxpayers' funds to support them through advertisements.

The Straits Times was a respectable newspaper when men of integrity like AC Simmons and Leslie Hoffman led it till 1970.

From then on, it has been gradually sullied and poisoned by the filthy grip of Umno and its order-taking 'editors'.

HC: I'm reasonably sure that readers will be grateful if Malaysiakini can reproduce NST's apology as I stopped reading rubbish a while ago.

It's a little expensive to buy a paper product at that price as toilet paper is still better value for money - and more comfortable in its application. All forms of apology from NST will be gleefully relished. Let the groveling begins.

Tehachapi: I hope we are seeing the end of irresponsible reporting by these rogue newspapers and reporters. Are these newspapers not aware that without honesty and integrity, a newspaper has no credibility to create an impact, but to deal in lies.

Malaysian readership is smart and well-informed. Patronising and biased reporting will not survive serious public scrutiny. Also, Malaysian readers have access to alternative media. Any newspaper wishing to survive in Malaysia has no alternative but to really transform and change.

The mainstream media has lost readership mainly because of shallowed and biased reporting. These papers have become too partisan and lost objectivity, they have unwittingly ignored their responsibility to the society.

Instead of conscientious and fearless reporting, they participate in gutter politics and weave lies. The current state of affair in the mainstream media reflects the loss of conviction, which ought to be revived for the good of all.

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