WSJ not the best example of honesty and virtue

Snazzy infographics merely stokes emotions.

COMMENT

By Thean See Xien

Last Friday, the Wall Street Journal published an article that could only be described as incendiary. With very little subtlety or imagination, it claimed to reveal how funds from Malaysia’s 1MDB had apparently been stolen, then funnelled into personal bank accounts. Whose bank accounts? Well, surprise, surprise, they belonged to none other than Prime Minister Najib Razak himself. This was an earth-shattering revelation, to be sure, but just to inflame emotions even more, the WSJ even took the trouble of inserting snazzy infographics which tracked the supposed money trail.

Naturally enough, the resulting controversy has served to sway the opinions of many Malaysians, turning the rakyat against our prime minister and convincing them to participate in what amounts to a witch-hunt.

Many cite the WSJ article as a smoking gun. They treat it as the gospel truth. They say it’s a eureka moment.

But can it really be that simple?

At this juncture, I believe it is important for all of us to take a step back and rethink the situation. In fact, it’s prudent to exercise a great deal of caution. After all, the WSJ is hardly the best example of honesty and virtue. Those of us who have followed the sordid exploits of its editorial team are well aware that it has reputation for advancing dark agendas.

During the build-up to the invasion of Iraq, it was the WSJ who acted as the chief instigator, beating the drums of war. It argued for the toppling of Saddam Hussein and the disarming of his country. Among the false evidence it presented was a source named Curveball, who gave intimate details about Iraq’s WMD programme. Documentation and graphics were also furnished, which depicted the existence of mobile laboratories capable of manufacturing biological toxins such as anthrax and botulinum. Most damningly, a correlation was drawn between Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein, linking Iraq with 9/11, even though such a theory was preposterous.

Even as the hysteria grew to boiling point, The WSJ’s editors famously declared in February 2003:

“It will be the nasty weapons and the cheering Iraqis the coalition finds when it liberates the country.”

Well, over a decade on, we can see the results of this so-called liberation. It has led to the rise of ISIS, mass murder and political instability. Despite this failure in journalism and foreign policy, the WSJ remains unrepentant. It continues to twist the truth and spread neocolonialist propaganda. In April 2015, the WSJ gave the notorious Judith Miller a platform to explain why the Bush administration had committed no wrong in invading Iraq in the first place.

It has been said: “Those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it.”

In light of this, I believe that it’s absolutely vital that the rakyat exercise maturity and critical thought. They must understand that nothing that the WSJ publishes can ever be taken at face value. Gutter journalism is its specialty; causing chaos in innocent Third World countries is its goal.

At this most challenging time, Malaysians should be united in pushing back against foreign domination.

Please reject the WSJ and what it stands for.

Our political stability may very well depend on it.

Thean See Xien is an FMT reader and an ardent believer in Malaysia’s potential for greatness.