UMNO leaders and propagandists as well as mainstream media are the worst culprits in concocting and disseminating fake news and false stories about critics and the Opposition

It is the irony of ironies.

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, kicked off the new year warning about “fake news” and “false stories” as a grave problem in the country, loyally echoed by his propaganda lieutenant, the Communications and Multimedia Minister, Datuk Seri Said Keruak Salleh who dutifully warned “a most unpredictable and probably ‘dangerous’ year” because of “fake stories” being spread about Malaysia, but it is the UMNO leaders, propagandists and cybertroopers including the country’s mainstream media like New Straits Times and Utusan Malaysia who are the worst culprits in concocting and disseminating fake news and false stories about critics and the Opposition.

Their action befits a Chinese saying about “Thief shouting thief” which basically means to divert the attention of others so as to cover up one’s misdoings.

Najib was the first to lead UMNO leaders, propagandists and cybertroopers in the “thief shouting thief” act, warning about Nazi “Big Lies” propaganda campaign to divert attention from the very Nazi-type “Big Lies” propaganda he was guilty of in his UMNO Presidential speech on Nov.30.

The three “Big Lies” Najib told in his UMNO Presidential Speech were:

1. That the 14th General Elections will be a contest between UMNO and DAP.

2. That the DAP is anti-Malay or anti-Islam.

3. The “nightmares” Malay will suffer if UMNO loses power in the next general elections.

Najib’s three “Big Lies” were worthy of Nazi “Big Lies” technique perfected by Hitler’s Propaganda Minister, Joseph Goebbels, who said: “Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it”.

There no need to repeat my rebuttal of Najib’s Three Nazi-style “Big Lies” which the Prime Minister and his propaganda team had not been able to refute.

I had in my media statement dated December 2, 2016 challenged Najib to list the three Big Lies which DAP had told about him and the UMNO leadership, but there is only thundering silence in the past month – proof that that concoction of fake news and false stories is “one-way traffic” – the specialty of UMNO leaders, propagandists and cybertroopers.

There is a Goebbels serving Najib, who is responsible for the flood of “false news” and “false stories” about critics and Opposition leaders.

For instance, new lies have been told about me – accusing me of being the cause of the May 13 riots in Kuala Lumpur in 1969 as well as being a “communist”, apart from the lies that I am anti-Malay, anti-Islam and anti-Malay Rulers although they could not offer a shred of evidence from the some ten millions words I have spoken or written in the past 51 years of my political activities.

Discerning Malaysians will realise that the allegations that I was the cause of the May 13 riots and that I was a communist was minted after the “political tsunami” of the 2008 General Elections – a fantastic case where I was never accused of these charges for four decades of my political life from 1969, but suddenly I am accused of causing the May 13 riots in Kuala Lumpur and being a communist – all because of Goebbel’s dictum: “Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it!”

The latest handiwork of such Nazi-style “Big Lie” concocted by Najib’s Goebbels is the fairy tale that I had met Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad on Dec. 3 and “sealed a deal that Mukhriz would become prime minister with Kit Siang as his deputy”.

I had said in my statement dated Dec. 27 that this is a total figment of imagination, and that I had never met Mahathir, “whether on Dec. 3 or before to ‘seal a deal’ on the question of PM or DPM if UMNO/Barisan Nasional is ousted from Putrajaya in the 14th General Election” and that “In fact, I had never at any time discussed such a question with Mahathir”.

I had announced that I had instructed my lawyers to look into the possibility of instituting legal action against New Straits Times (NST) for publishing such lies.

But this has not deterred Najib’s all-powerful Goebbels, and NST and Utusan have continued to publish the “fake news” and “false stories” about the alleged meeting between Mahathir and myself on Dec. 3 to “seal the deal” for Mukriz to be the Prime Minister and myself as Deputy Prime Minister.

I have instructed my lawyers that legal proceedings should take into account the latest “fake news” and “false stories” about me and to extend legal action to Utusan Malaysia apart from New Straits Times.