I am not surprised at Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Rais Yatim's suggestion that the government take legal action against Inside Al Qaeda author Rohan Gunaratna.

Several Barisan Nasional and other cabinet ministers and leaders are baying for his blood for "linking the Barisan Nasional" to the al-Qaeda.

Several others, not wanting to be undone by their political foes or masters, which includes, several vernacular authors of the print media and columnists have also gone 'amok' with several 'conspiracy theories' of their own, while others, have called for the book to be banned.

Fearing a backlash, several bookstores have removed the book from their shelves, as if that will hamper it from being read and distributed in this age of information technology and globalisation.

But the pertinent question is: Have all the critics read the book?

It is also amusing to note that the book has been in circulation for the last few months but no one supposedly guarding our country's security, intelligence nor advisers to the government have even bothered to make any comment till this inexplicable uproar.

So much for the 'efficiency, effectiveness and professionalism' of the elites of our national security.

I am certain those of us who have read the book will find it quite amusing over the 'fuss' created by some quarters.

Instead of allowing the present situation to get out of hand, the government should sit down objectively and rationally to initiate a forum and dialogue to demand an explanation and expungement of the chart in the UN Security Council Report for any false imputation or reports that indicate that Malaysia aids, abets or harbours any form of support for al-Qaeda or any other terrorist networks.

Anything less will cause irreparable harm to Malaysia image, as is seen in the postponement of two events by the Australian High Commission in Malaysia.

It is also expected there will be a mass cancellation of hotel bookings and tourist arrivals during the year-end holidays following security reports that there exist "generic threats in the region in the aftermath of the Oct 12 bombings in Bali".

What is needed now is not political rhetoric but a well concerted and planned effort at crisis management to minimise any 'disinformation' arising from not only the publication of Gunaratna's book, but recent events pertaining to the arrest and deportation of suspected terrorist operatives, the allegations that the country has been the 'transit point' for for terrorist 'sleeper cells, field and other funding operatives' before Sept 11.