According to Thick Brick Blogspot , His Majesty the DYMM Seri Paduka Baginda Yang Dipertuan Agong, Sultan Ibrahim returned safely from a successful 4-day official visit to China yesterday.
South China Morning Post and Star Online reported Agong in tears expressing gratitude to China for the treatment provided to the departed prince, Tengku Abdul Jalil. Local media emphasised the improving bilateral relation between China and Malaysia, in which the last visit by an Agong was in 2014.
Sadly, a local business portal chose to do third party reporting purely based on “Reuters …. has alleged” and insinuate the visit as a private business trip by Agong.
The business portal, by a publishing company established since 2019 with several known publications in the market and boasting a string of accolades, should have done their homework, not blindly follow American and Singaporean narrative, and put national interest as priority.
A Pakistan media, Express Tribune below had better sense and could appreciate the key takeaway of this visit.
Bangkok Post picked on the same takeaway.
On September 18th, prior to the official visit from September 19th to 22nd, CNA and Reuters inferred in the report headline that the trip was intended to seek support from China for the HSR redevelopment. However, the report was on visit by China’s Premier Li Qiang in June related to the Pan Asian Railway.
In their September 20th report, Singapore’s Straits Times quoted Bloomberg and The Diplomat went to the extent of speculating the visit was to seek funds, presumably to negotiate funding and highlighting YTL officials were in the entourage.
That is uncalled for as it is beneath the role of the Agong to be involved directly in day-to-day administrative matter and more so, it would be unfair as there are other bidders for the construction of the HSR, including China’s own CRCC.
As a Malaysian-based portal, they should be aware of the national interest for a neutral foreign policy in relations with the superpowers. Why then are they echoing the narrative of the Western and Singapore media to create the perception the country is begging for fund?
What purpose is there to support a local media which is merely to parrot foreign media i.e. interest and failed to highlight the Malaysian perspective i.e. national interest?
American and Singapore media are united in promoting and defending their national interest irrespective of ideology and leaning.
Source : Thick Brick Blogspot
The Coverage Malaysia
