William M Arkin is no ordinary columnist but a highly knowledgeable and well-connected analyst of military affairs of the Western, especially the English-speaking world.

Besides writing regularly for Los Angeles Times on the deadly serious matters of war and peace, the name of Arkin is also on the list of specialist authors of Brassey's 

  • The continuous suppression of press freedom which has considerably eroded the credibility of official news and versions of events;

  • The recurrent propaganda failures on the part of the ruling parties and politicians, which backfire and boomerang on themselves;

  • The widely held negative perception and impression of the police as 'corrupt', 'trigger-happy', 'wildly emotional', 'cruel and brutal' and 'arbitrary', and as a 'self-interested protector' of the ruling parties and politicians.

  • The widely held belief among Malays and Muslims who form the majority of voters that the top leadership of Umno and the government has lost domestic legitimacy, and has to seek foreign — especially US — support like Shah Pahlavi in Iran or President Marcos in the Philippines once did.

    • Seen through these disturbing backdrops, it is therefore important, pressing and critical for the government to publicly respond to Arkin's opinions and the sources, named or anonymous, whom he quoted.