My apologies to bros Hamidi, Jahabar, Leslie and Yushaimi.
Kamrul Idris is the new Executive Editor of News, replacing Saiful AzharAbdullah.
Kamrul is currently Executive Editor for Life & Times. His news background is limited, partly because of his inability to handle the pressure of a newsroom. But as an editorial writer, given his powerful command of the language, he excels under the Kalimullah regime.
The two portfolios make him the most powerful Executive Editor in the NSTP.
And Kamrul can ghost write for Dollah Kok Lanas and Kalimullah all the same. It's not about prostituting journalism.It's about being a good servant to whoever is the master.
ReplyDeletea much better choice of candidate.
ReplyDeletesuperb writing skills.
don't know the guy personally, don't know his background, but he writes well and with a lot of flair.
what nst and umno needs now is not so much a spin doctor but someone who can convey the messages eloquently. ini tiap tiap hari we get stories like, pm said this today, etc...no flair in writing intros pun. how to get people interested in reading?
Watch out Kamarul! You could be an innocent bystander here. Gajah sama gajah berkelahi, pelanduk yg mati.
ReplyDeletegosh, jeez, Goddam,
ReplyDeletehow could we have missed Kamrul Idris?
How could we?
Ah Kamrul...nice fellow. Scared shit of authority. Now in Kali's very good books. Brendan's A-list.
Let's see, Kamrul as an exec editor news. Under Kali-Brendan-Hisham, he is perfect. Good and obedient. Good command of English.
But, his experience as a news journalist/news editor -- ZILCH. He had a stint with The Sun, though but that cannot be counted.
But well,we know why he's there. Isnt he Joan Lau's bofriend?
Kamrul will be holding the post for Wan Hamidi.
ReplyDeletePoor Kamrul. Having to take on a job he knows he is so not qualified for.
But, I suppose, there are not many very experienced/professional senior journalists left in the NST. And those remaining are already needed to hold their respective fort.
Kamrul is so lightweight.
But then, Kali and his henchmen dont want heavyweights.
kamrul idris. Ouch.
ReplyDeletePlease ask NST senior reporters how he was like when he was a reporter in the 80s.
Confirmed!!! The NST bosses only want yezzz-men and women. Cronyism is alive and well at the NST.
Meritocracy? My ass!
I would, however, state here that Kamrul Idris is a very sweet guy who would NOT hurt a fly. I would not want to say anything bad about him. It is not his fault.
anonymous,
ReplyDeleteif the criterion (to be an editor) is ONLY a good command of english, why dont newspapers just hire english teachers/lecturers/professors?
Having a strong command of English and Malay/or Malay is an asset, of course. But, it is not the only requirement.
Kamrul (such a sweet boy), is not qualified for the job.
But, I suppose, as someone said --- there aren't enough of qualified people left in the NST for the job.
And I agree with R.Kajai -- Kalimullah wants a good servant.
Kamrul will be a good servant. Never in his life (well, perhaps only a couple of years ago) could he ever imagine that he would be anywhere in the hierarchy.
we should be happy for kamrul.
ReplyDeleteIt is his rezeki.
good command of english? agreed! only if he was writing an essay..
ReplyDeletebig words. turgid. verbose. you feel that he is writing for himself. Or some students in the science of vocabulary.
HE CANNOT WRITE A STRAIGHT NEWS STORY.
just ask around.
Give Kamarul a chance. I am an oldtimer. Know this chap. Not much. A little. Nobody really knows him. He says very little. No self-grooming whatsoever. Has problem with waking up early. Kadir put him on editorial writing bacause he couldn't come to work early. Boon and Zainon supervised him. Has flair but no practical experience. Poor at reporting. So so in feature writing. Commentary ok. Slow. Scared s--- of Kadir. Then who isn't? Loyal. Follow the leader. Play safe. Can't rock the boat even if he wants to. Not known outside op-ed section of the NST. Just the kind of gem Kali and Brendan are looking for. In the end luck plays a major role. Good luck Kamarul, good luch NST.
ReplyDeleteyes, kamrul is a sweet and soft spoken guy... but sorry kamrul, i dont remember seeing u cover hard news what more political news especially UMNO...dont think u can handle it there unless u r the so called puppet for kali-bren-hisham regime's
ReplyDeleteit was a bad decision to removed saiful just becoause of his close contacts with Dr M's camp... but he will survive ...
Kamrul's a pushover. Too much of a nice guy. Won't be able to withstand the shitty New Desk pressure. Actually, they should give the post to that wily old dog, LT Boon. He'll obediently lick any crummy bone his masters throw at him.
ReplyDeleteNever in the history of the NST that it has been so badly forsaken. See what you can do to a grand old newssheet like that when you get an amateurish tongkag crew (no punt intetded) to man it. I worked in Penang for a now dead paper, The Straits Echo. Then Penang was not a mere port, it was a harbour, a freeport. I used to see those hardworking, highly skilled tongkang taikongs and their deckhands loading and unloading ships. They were noisy, quarrelsome and vulger. But they did a good job. If only NST has a tongkang crew like that!
ReplyDeleteIn one breath, Joan Lau is the Life & Times editor who published the caricature that mocked Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in The NST that caused it to receive a caution letter from the IS Ministry to which Kalimullah offered a half-apology.
ReplyDeleteRocky, I've read with interest your comments and comments by the participants of your blog concerning the ongoing changes in the NSTP.
ReplyDeleteI know Kamarul. As was correctly pointed out by "old media heck", he was editorial writer during my time. He was a nice chap. I have not met him for a long time since. From the remarks made here, I believe he's still that nice, quiet and rather nervous fellow.
I hope those of you who know him personally can spare some kind thoughts and maybe compassion for him.
It's not fair to damn him simply because he is appointed to the job by the people you hate.
Some day, if ever anyone of you gets to become Kamarul's boss, I hope you'll not punish him just because he is appointed by the people you hold in contempt.
I say this because from the writing style, I sense that many of you are either serving NST staff or those who once worked for the company.
Thank you.
i pity nst. they have to burden kamrul with two jobs. cant nst find anyone decent to take over the executive news editor's job. anyway, the job is going to be very tough, what with brendan being a task master. under brendan you are out if you dont perform. you have to give your all. you must have fire in your belly, you must be prepared to work seven days a week. you must be on call all the time. good luck, kamrul.
ReplyDeletewhoever you are who signed as NST:
ReplyDeleteYou make Brendan sound like any old editor. He isnt. He is a brash young man who has no regard for senior experienced journalists of the NST-- only when he needs them. He is contemptuous of oldtimers. Only uses them when he needs them.
Not that he ahs nay regard for young ones... perhaps just their energy and youth -- Most NST journalists know what hard work is. Of course. there are some who know how to work smart. In fact, many of us do. Hard,smart. And we all have fire in our belly. Brendan doesnt.
And to Datuk Kadir -- i agree with you. Kamrul doesnt deserve all the things said about him. But Datuk, they are not said with malice. They are the truth. Everyone agrees that Kamrul is a nice guy. At least those who know him..or remember him. Many dont even remember him.
We also know, and you do too, that he is so unqualified.
We know how the cookie crumbles now. Kamrul is not put there for anything other than he wll serve Kali and Brendan obediently and will not give any problem.
also Joan Lau is sister to Lesley Lau of the Singapore Straits Times. And Lionel Lau owner of a restaurant in Jalan Telawi Bangsar and who was given a column on wine by Joan in the New Sunday Times (Sunday People).
ReplyDeleteLionel good buddy of Kali/Brendan.
Kali/Brendan took Joan in to take care of the features desk.One of the reasons Rose Ismail, Fatimah Abu Bakar, Sharon Nelson and Shahreem Amry left.
(She was in the NST in the 70s and 80s. No great shake. Was in a couple of magazines after that before her foray back into NST).
Mixed review about her at NST -- just ask around. You can see who say she's good and who think she is not.
Joan Lau is the editor they brought in to replace Rose Ismail and her cronies. Alas, as eveyone now knows, she is no better, as she has now not only groomed her own cronies but also brought in a lot of outsiders who treat NST as their own home.
ReplyDeleteKali can put whomever he wants to, in any position at the NST.
ReplyDeleteIf his crony can do the job, why not?
It's when he appoints unqualified people without credibility to hold certain posts that causes problems.
In the NST, there are many such people.
hi blogfarkar!
ReplyDeletewelcome to this blog. you seem to think that the guy is capable of feeling. if indeed he is, than he should do the right thing. even pak lah has exposed him and the untruths he is capable of writing. many people see it as a cue for him to apologise to the ex-PM and then resign from all posts in the nst. did he take the cue? no, bro. nehi.
excuse me rocky, i disagree with your view that the executive editor's job in the nst is very powerful. the most powerful man is brendan. period. the rest are just machais (servants in cantonese) who are at the beck and call of the boss. you should know that. the machais just do what they are told and sometimes try to show they have initiative and give their two cents worth.
ReplyDeletenstman,
ReplyDeletehow right you are. No position in NST is more powerful than that held by Brendan. Whatever post he holds would be the most powerful.
Joan Lau was suppose to be the superstar lifestyle editor brought in to revamp the Life and Times section. From what I see, Life and Times is more negligible now. Its boring, boring, boring. Maybe NST should do a survey and and find out how many NST readers actually read Life and Times. Bru, I'm really curious...
ReplyDeletehey rocky,
ReplyDeletejust got to know your blog. it is so interesting. i just have to comment about the life and times.
is it still in existence? i know that it was reduced to a "where to eat" (usually chinese food) and where to buy stuff and all. you cant really get to read issues. Maybe I am too old for the NST. And I am not even 30. Also, it became so chinese. No offence. I would not want it to be too Malay or too Indian. But, it was very Chinese. Dont know whether that was good or bad. Maybe the editor likes chinese things and stuff. I am Malaysian. I do like Chinese things and stuff too. But.... well, you know what i mean.
These days, I dont even read the Life and Times. (Is it still there?)
I read the NST but I dont buy it. sorry.
Yes I agree... all Joan Lau has succeeded in doing is sending Life and Times into oblivion and chased all the good writers and editors and READERS away!! My friends and I call it the dumbing down exercise of L&T. And she's set up the paper so that all her friends and relatives can use it to promote their wines and products, services etc. My mother don't read the section no more, neither do my sisters, or friends or I. Someone should really do a study on how L&T has gone from the most read section of NST to the least read one.
ReplyDelete