'WSJ meddling in Malaysia's domestic political affairs'

FOLLOWING is the full statement issued today by Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Dr Salleh Said Keruak in response to reports by The Wall Street Journal on Malaysia.

FOREIGN INTERFERENCE IN MALAYSIA WILL FAIL

1. The Wall Street Journal should submit candidates for Malaysia's next General Election, given their strong interest and inclinations in our domestic political affairs. ‎They are behaving like politicians and campaigners, not credible or independent media.

2. Their stories now don't even contain new information. They simply repeat and repackage unproven allegations they've previously published. They never do anything to justify these smears beyond quoting anonymous sources and documents that - mysteriously - only the WSJ claims to have spoken to and seen.‎ These may not exist, or they could originate from political opponents and be incomplete or wrong.

3. The WSJ's Malaysia coverage has become desperate and obsessive. They have abandoned the fact-based principles of independent journalism to become nothing better than a partisan blog - the willing vehicle of politically motivated forces.

4. It has become clear that this American newspaper and those feeding it for their own selfish objectives, such as Tun Mahathir Mohamad and his proxies, want to influence Malaysia's political process and dictate who should form our government.

5. Their continuous onslaught is not about journalism, but about forcing their own arrogant and misguided vision onto Malaysia. If we submitted, our harmonious, stable and prosperous majority-Muslim state would be eroded.

6. But the days of 'might is right' and having to obey colonial masters are over. We will bend to no-one, especially neocon media like the WSJ who pushed for the disastrous foreign interventions in Muslim countries such as Iraq. They are partly responsible for opening up a pandora's box of death, destruction and instability.

7. Malaysians know better how to govern ourselves and maintain stability. We will ensure that only Malaysians decide our country's future, and at the ballot box as part of democratic process.

Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Salleh Said Keruak

Minister of Communications and Multimedia Malaysia‎