August 1.
In a few hours Saiful Azhar Abdullah, ejected against his will from the NST purportedly for being too close to Dr M's camp, will report for duty to the big boss of The Malay Mail/Weekend Mail, Syed Faisal Albar (who is also the NSTP chief executive officer).
Saiful, who was Executive Editor (News) of NST for the briefest of periods, will report as one of two deputy editors of MM/WM (the other being the younger Yushaimi Yahaya). Where daily operations are concerned, both come directly under the even-younger M. Zul.
Yushaimi and Saiful have both worked with me at the Mail and either one of them, I believe, could easily bring back the tabloid's glory days, given time and a shot at it.
The question now is: Who will group editor-in-chief Hishamuddin Aun (read Kalimullah Hassan and Brendan Pereira) appoint to fill the powerful position of executive editor in charge of news in this Umno-owned NST?
NST's reporters I spoke to think suspect 4 candidates:
1/ Hamidi Hamid, the fomer Australian High Commissioner press attache who was brought in by Kalimullah recently, as specialist writer, to focus on Umno politics
2/ Jahabar Saddiq, Reuters TV
3/ Leslie Lau, Straits Times Singapore
4/ Yushaimi
Yushaimi is the obvious underdog, being the only guy without any experience working with a foreign organisation and who is still, fortunately, very passionate about the Mail.
M. Zul? Who's this chracter? Was in the NSTP for more than 20 years. Never heard of him, not as Pets or anything. Where did he come from. Another parachuted con artist? Pardon me for the expression. That's what the NSTP has become. Don't think much of what's left of the NSTP either. Gutless cari makan type. In the mean time the Star is laughing its way to the bank. Even the maverick Rokk has started writing for it. End is nigh for the venerable NST, thanks to Kali. Long live the NST.
ReplyDeleteNo amount of promotion will help unless guys like Syed Nazri, Zainul Ariffin, Saiful, Manja, Mustapha stand up and be counted. They should either make Hisham into a real GEIC with bola (He was a former sports editor) or kick him out. Forget Kali and Brendan. Rampaging Zam said they're as good as GONE. Kali hag gone to see Najib 3 or 4 weeks ago to present his exit plan and lay the groundwork for survival under Najib, if the Pekan boy ever gets to become PM.
ReplyDeleteHidup Pak Lah. Inilah yang dipanggil Malay Towering in Islam hadhari period
ReplyDeleteYushaimi bring MM back to its glory days? Dream on! Saiful maybe lah.
ReplyDeletemy bet is wan hamidi.
ReplyDeletethe malay face, brother. although, you might as well put a singaporean non-muslim.
besides, he is THEIR GUY. He wont be a problem at all. well-trained by brendan and a foreign mission. OK waat. not so clever, but as you know, the last thing the want/need is a budak pandai. Jahabar and Leslie -- also can. but they are smart alecks.
Yushaimi --- may be a p r o b l e m. He's your boy, bro.
And Mr Kaliyuga -- you can't make balls for people. either you have them or you don't.
mr poker face --- dont lah say that about NST. The paper, the organisation is venerable.It is just that we have a teensy weensy problem with the editorial management. some lack of integrity there.
bro,
ReplyDeleteyou are too generous to your boy, Yushaimi.
He needs years more-lah, bro.
Not that he is useless. But he is still a little raw. He has got it in him. But not there yet. You are comparing him with those present. You forget the seniors who left.
But, if they put him there. he will learn. and fast too.
we'll see.
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ReplyDeletepoker face...
ReplyDeleteM.Zul is a former magistrate, spent about 3 years as a sub editor for a male magazine..and now sits as the editor for the New Malay Mail (wic unofficially is the official paper for McDonalds, Selangor, Am Bank and all other organisations with red and yellow as their colours). Thus the more 'magazine like ' approach. Journalists, both former and current hate it (but some simply love it coz no tight deadlines as before and stories are done in a more relaxed manner)...but it's bringing in the $$$ (or so they claim). So that's basically M.Zul for you.
p/s: Apparently he wanted it to be a more sports cum lifestyle daily, but don't even know the 8 core sports nor any local underground acts. Thus the pro-foriegn news for our self proclaimed basketball freak.
frankly, i doubt anybody will be interested in the job. its a dirty job, very dirty job, and it takes a lot out of you. if you get to become an executive editor in the star, it will be worth it because star is no 1. it will be a struggle in the nst. now, anyone interested in the job?
ReplyDeleteNSTMAN, you are right. No journalist worth his salt, no real journalist, would want that job. Not under Kali-Bren-Hisham. Looks bad on yr CV.
ReplyDeleteOf all the four candidates -- Yushaimi, if offered that post,would accept, grudgingly, reluctantly. But he will accept. Not because he is not a real journalist. But because he is in NST and, why not.
The other three wil be more than willing. Wan Hamidi will not hesitate. No second thoughts. Leslie and Jahabar --- must be matched with the money. Desperate Kali and Brendan wont hesitate to give in. They need baruas, kadams and slaves. Not editors. Or they have redefined the job of editors.
With the exception of Yus -- (whtever u want to say abt him, he is a journalist. NST homegrown. That itself may disqualify him).--- the appointment of Wan Hamidi, Leslie or Jahabar would further intensify the ruin of NST. As far as Wan Hamidi is concerned, certain quarters in Umno might protest -- they would want his background checked. No need to mention it here, but Kali and Brendan may be hardpressed here..with regards to Hamidi's background, Check this out with fellow scribes.
Here, I am wondering -- Could KP Waran be the dark horse. He may not be Malay but he has experience. And no problem cracking the whip with him.
journo ... what abt the guy shorter than brendan, lionel moraise? i here heis eyes are all blue. did tony e in to become the crime editor and had known about what was ogioing to happen to the malay mail + the sundaqy mail bnefore anyone else!! he quitted malay/sunday mail before the vss was even announced and agreed to a deal with brendan with the consent of kalimullah because they like him .. he was breandan's ears and eyes at the mail then,, so they said. the deal was that he bhe made editor of a new sectoin of the nst, a malaymail-like section (think star metro). however, they ditched the idea not because lionel may not be upo to it but because the whole nst was already looking like the malay mail! so they made him news editor (or deputy chief news editor) or news editor with the power of a chief news editor. he now sits besides brenadn. everyday we see him and brendan whispering and in consultation. combined, they stand tall!
ReplyDeleteSaudara journo
ReplyDeleteUmno sudah tidak bertaring, sudah tidak ada keberanian. Sekarang ni, siapapun boleh menduduki sebarang jawatan di NST, Umno tidak akan berdecit.
Kalau Umno masih berani pun, Umno tidak akan buat bising mengenai calon untuk jawatan yang telah di kosongkan oleh Saiful. Baik seorang kafir atau seorang murtad yang jadi pengganti -- Umno tidak kisah lagi.
Bagi Umnom NST sudah mati.
Saudara journo
ReplyDeleteUmno sudah tidak bertaring, sudah tidak ada keberanian. Sekarang ni, siapapun boleh menduduki sebarang jawatan di NST, Umno tidak akan berdecit.
Kalau Umno masih berani pun, Umno tidak akan buat bising mengenai calon untuk jawatan yang telah di kosongkan oleh Saiful. Baik seorang kafir atau seorang murtad yang jadi pengganti -- Umno tidak kisah lagi.
Bagi Umnom NST sudah mati.
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ReplyDeleteoh yes oh yes
ReplyDeletelionel morais... too many short people there. consider this -- all shorties -- kali, hisham, brendan..
besides, lionel will fall short of expectations.
yep. he was brendan and kali's spy. telling them about rocky and so on.
and you thought rocky didnt know??
p.s At least hamidi is an inch taller than allof them.
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ReplyDeleteLionel macam kacang lupakan kulit!
ReplyDeleteRocky was the one who promoted him and give him big buck$ in MM with the new editor (crime)posting. Now he bad mouthing Rocky. Macam mana ni bro...
Remember Wan Hamidi used to work for ST KL!
ReplyDeleteRahman Maidin, another of Pak Lah's guy came, saw and destroyed the financial standing of NSTP, now Kali & Syed have destroyed the human capital & customer relationship within NSTP.What is there left? What is audit - both internal & external - doing?, What is Bursa doing? What is ACA doing? It takes years to regain customers' trust & confidence.....do you still think that NST & MM can turnaround?
ReplyDeletenot disrespect to the four candidates but is there no other better candidate - someone who is well versed, connected, and has his ears and eyes open to the happenings in umno? i doubt the four have a passion for it. yes they may have reported about it, but are they really passionate of the subject and the task at hand?
ReplyDeleteu need someone very senior for this post, and the four mentioned are simply not it.
I would be failing in my duties as a responsible journalist and friend, if I didn't set the records straight about Lionel Morias. Just because he is in the good books of the present management, it doesnt make him a kali-brendan sympathiser or a rocky&co detractor. The man, as I know him to be, is keeping himself out of this game and trying to do his job the best way he knows how. He didn't ask for this new posting, and he certainly didn't lobby for it. I don't think anyone in the newsroom have any reason to fear him following his association with the kali-brendan regime who recognise and appreciate his work ethics. Lionel is not a back stabber. If in the near future Tony Emmanuel, Jahabar and Leslie Lau become his bosses, he will be just as hardworking and professional. So pls give the guy a break, don't hold him guilty by association. I have had my skirmishes with him, but a squealer or a back stabber, he is not. But having said that, he must be a saint for being able to go along to get along with this regime. I didnt think I would ever utter this crappy line, but Lionel, "you'll never walk alone."
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeletelazarus, a prophet is not known in his country, or in this case, the nst. there are quite a number of good journalists like balan moses, a. kathirasen, not to mention top behind-the-scenes brains like chandrasegar, but they dont get a chance to show their true stuff. if they had been outsiders, they would have caught the eye of brendan, but because they are still in the nst they are considered has=been, or journeymen. that is the sad truth about the nst.
ReplyDeleteaaawww Shudduup, Rokk
ReplyDeletelazarus is quite right. I do not know lionel well. But i know that he has a lot of respect for rocky. if he is seen to be so buddy buddy with brendan, well.... tell me, should he be f----ing off brendan and kali? come one, give the guy a break. they are his bosses.
ReplyDeletehe may not be six foot two like rocky. i mean, tell me who is (with the exception of rehman, azmi, kamrul, vijesh)?
but this guy is quite a guy. and you cannot blame him if he is playing the game, i mean, playing his cards. dont blame him if he still wants to remain in the NST. good for him.
but whether or not he is a back stabber, i wouldnt know.
we know that he knows that we know that he owes a lot to rocky.
but executive editor. methinks, NOT YET...
you know how inexperienced bosses can kill a "young" editor -- put them in a senior position that he or she cannot handle and expose his/her weaknesses.
they think they are doing this person a favour by promoting him/her. we have seen so many promising young editor get "exposed". and then he/she screws up, loses confidence...and their reporters dont respect him/her.
Bru, be mindful. Casting doubt on one's faith, esp. over apostasy, can be both sedicious and libelous.
ReplyDeleteBe more careful, more so now that the BIG BROTHER in Putrajaya is looking over your shoulders.
But do ask Brendan Pereira, does he still believe in press freedom and openess?