Strong Ego vs. Big Ego
Yesterday, I sat down with a veteran, retired media observer who taught me the difference between a Strong Ego and a Big Ego.
He used a Rocky's Bru posting to illustrate how ego works.
Rocky said: "Experienced and responsible editors readily admit an error and have no qualms about apologising if the mistake is grave. An apology may save a newspaper from being sued."
The media observer said that's a Strong Ego at work.
Rocky said: "But, mostly, editors say sorry and admit mistakes to uphold their own and their newspapers' integrity and credibility, lest they are accused of spreading lies."
That's a Stronger Ego at work, said the veteran I most respect.
And, it goes without saying that when a former prime minister's demand for a public apology -- over factual errors in The NST that had been pointed out by the victim so demonised, and that the same had been re-confirmed by the incumbent prime minister -- was flatly and expressly denied, the Big Ego apparently has reared its ugly head in the public space.
And there's no remorse.
This is what Sufi Yusoff, Dr Mahathir's press secretary, sent to A. Kadir Jasin's blog at 13:17hr on July 27:
The following is my letter dated July 24 to the NSTP. To this date, it hasn't been published:
Ybhg Datuk Hishamuddin Aun
Group Editor-in-Chief
New Straits Times Press (Malaysia) Berhad
Balai Berita
31, Jalan Riong
59100 Kuala Lumpur
July 24, 2006
Dear Sir,
RE: Set the record straight
I refer to the Sunday Column: And who, really, is demonising whom? (New Sunday Times June 11, 2006).
In that column your columnist (Datuk) Kalimullah Hassan gave his version of the meeting between Prime Minister YAB Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and former Prime Minister YABhg Tun Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad on May 26, 2006, as follows, and I quote;
“The Prime Minister was in Japan shortly after the Malaysiakini article appeared and was told that Dr Mahathir wanted to come and see him.
Abdullah, in the midst of breakfast with aides and officials, immediately put on his tie and told the ambassador that he would go and see his ex-boss rather than let Dr Mahathir come down and see him.
Yet, less than two weeks later, Dr Mahathir invited the foreign Press to his office and lambasted Abdullah and his administration.”
Following the publication of the said column, on behalf of Dr Mahathir I had written to the New Straits Times’ Letters to the Editor section on the same day to clarify several factual errors contained in the column, mainly;
- Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad did not seek an appointment with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi while both leaders were in Tokyo attending the Nikkei Conference.
- Dr Mahathir did not invite the foreign Press to, in the columnist’s words, "lambast Abdullah and his administration". The Press conference on June 7 was called to announce the Perdana Leadership Foundation’s Global Peace Forum to be held from June 20-22. The foreign Press was there for that purpose.
The following day the New Straits Times published Dr Mahathir’s version of the Tokyo meeting in the Letters to the Editor section, although it did not apologise to Dr Mahathir.
Instead, there was a footnote at the end of the letter which read:
(We have received many letters in support of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. Because they express similar sentiments to the correspondence already published, we have decided to bring this subject to a close. — Editor)
On the New Straits Times’ part, it chose to remain silent although the article and the factual errors contained within were clearly pointed out in my letter dated July 11, 2006.
In this case the New Straits Times was expected to offer an apology to Dr Mahathir.
On July 20, 2006 the NST and Berita Harian, two publications under the NSTP published these two news items, of which the excerpts I have taken off the website and reproduced here;
No ill-feeling towards Dr M, says Abdullah
20 Jul 2006
By Hamidah Atan and Deborah Loh- “When he was in Tokyo recently, Abdullah said, he was the one who made the effort to meet Dr Mahathir in the latter’s room after knowing that the former prime minister was also staying in the same hotel.
Abdullah said he contacted an officer of Dr Mahathir to enquire whether the former prime minister had time for them to meet.
"I did not ask him to come and see me. I went to meet him. As a gesture of friendship, just to exchange greetings," he said. ”
Saya tak ada masalah dengan Dr M: Abdullah
Oleh Shamshul Azree Samshir dan Azrina Ahzan- “Perdana Menteri yang ditanya mengenai hubungannya dengan Dr Mahathir sekarang, juga berkata, ketika menghadiri satu forum di Tokyo baru-baru ini, beliau mengambil inisiatif menemui bekas perdana menteri itu.
Abdullah berkata, beliau menghubungi pegawai Dr Mahathir bertanyakan sama ada bekas perdana menteri itu ada masa berjumpanya.
“Bukan saya suruh dia datang jumpa saya. Saya (pergi) jumpa dia, sebagai silaturahim, bertanya khabar,” katanya.”
Based on these two news items, quoting none other than Prime Minister Abdullah himself, it is clear that the columnist’s version of the events of the meeting in Tokyo on May 26, 2006, was inaccurate.
The unqualified and misleading three paragraphs in the Sunday Column can only be read as intending to cast aspersion on Dr Mahathir.
I am sure the New Straits Times would agree that given the clarification by Prime Minister Abdullah, the New Sunday Times version is inaccurate.
Given this latest development, an unreserved apology is due to Dr Mahathir and it is only right.
I understand that the columnist have now ceased writing the Sunday Column, in which case I would seek for the apology to be prominently displayed in the New Straits Times.
Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
………………………………..
SUFI YUSOFF
for Tun Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad
Note: This letter is also sent to the columnist who is also Deputy Chairman of the New Straits Times Press (Malaysia) Berhad seeking an apology from him.
Comments
So well put. Bravo! Who is this veteran you so respect, Jeff? No need to divulge if he wishes to protect his privacy but good to know that wisdom exists still in this world almost bereft of common sense and courtesy.
JEFF OOI says: The veteran requested anonymity and did not want to find himself in the line of fire, apparently he knew how low some people can stoop in vlilifying dissenting views.
Posted by: lubok melayu![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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July 28, 2006 09:03 AM