On Sultanate Army guerilla base in Sabah: Malaysia's not so independent press in psy-war operations

Malaysia's not so independent press is highly sceptical of Sultanate's guerilla army base in Sabah which the Philippine Star reported about recently, a report that was carried by virtually every single Malaysia press outfit. 

However, it is important to note that on anything related to Sabah conflict, Malaysia print and broadcast media are fed largely by the powerful Bernama, Kuala Lumpur's state-run press agency, which will say anything and everything to prop up UMNO Party and Prime Minister Najib's own National Front Party (Barisan Nasional.)

In effect, Bernama can be rightly branded as Kuala Lumpur's 'mind conditionning arm' as it helps UMNO and Najib perpetuate gross historical inaccuracies, etc.

Readers therefore must be sceptical of opinion-based pieces bordering on psy-war tactics that are passed up as news items in Malaysia press. 

Here is an example of today's Borneo Insider banner which is not exactly what one expects from a so-called full-pledged news reporting outfit. We can only surmise that someone in Borneo Insider must have been ordered by Bernama to copy-paste Kuala Lumpur's press release. 

April, 15, 2013 - 9:25 amFact or Fiction
Sultan Kiram’s men set up guerrilla base in Sabah jungle claim – report

KOTA KINABALU: Sultan Jamalul Kiram III and his erstwhile spokesman, Abraham Idjirani are at it again in what many believe is a psychological war being waged against Malaysian security sources.

With their raiding force almost decimated and their so-called Radja Mudah, Agbimuddin Kiram either hiding in Simunul, Tawi-Tawi or even dead, the Kirams have hatched yet another interesting tale.

If last week they said that the MNLF had sent 400 of its fighters to Sabah to shore up Abgimuddin and his remaining ‘army’, this time around they are claiming that the followers of the sultanate of Sulu have set up a guerrilla base in the hinterlands of Sabah.

For more: The Borneo Insider: Fact or Fiction

And as if that was not enough, The Borneo Insider also posted a picture boasting a Malaysia Army armoured car; press photo caption smacks of deadly Malaysian challenge as it reads, "The Adnan VPC, an all-terrain armoured carrier and tank is waiting for Kiram’s men, wherever they are." 

Now, that to us sounds very much like a Bernama-sponsored psy-war gimmick ;-)

~~ Admins, Defenders of the Philippine Sabah and Spratly Claims
15 April 2013