As mentioned in the AFP report, Bali bombing takes political and economic toll on SEA , the wider impact of terrorism from the Bali bombing is the devastating "effect on the economies of the region, which were just picking themselves up from the floor after the devastating financial crisis of 1997-98".

It is therefore correct for Lim Kit Siang/DAP to highlight the absolutely damaging effect of the Brussels-based International Crisis Group (ICG) report 'How the Jemaah Islamiyah Terrorist Network Operates' released worldwide on Dec 11 which in Lim's words "shattered Malaysia's innocence with its picture of the country as a launching pad for al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiah terrorist bombings and attacks in Southeast Asia since 1999" ( DAP asks Mahathir to act on damaging ICG terror report

).

It is imperative for the government to respond by rebutting or discrediting the ICG report so that foreign tourists, investors and fund managers alike will not draw the negative conclusions from that report to our country's economic detriment.

The first objective of effective political propaganda is to see from the eyes of the political target audience and to persuade it to look at issues from the desired angle to our benefit .

The political target audience here are the foreign tourists, investors, fund managers and the international community. To convince them that Malaysia is safe (whether or not that is true), that is the first and paramount objective of any propaganda warden. The source of information or disinformation as the case may be — that is the ICG report — has therefore to be attacked and discredited: not the DAP or Lim Kit Siang.

This is because domestic audience is not the immediate focus. We know the situation in the country well enough, we don't need to be convinced. The issues DAP raised on the ICG report do not emanate from political ceramah (public talk) of opposition parties. They are raised from an international arena — the United Nations.

So take the issue there (the place where negative impressions of the country are disseminated) and convince the international community at that level. If one can do that, against and in spite of whatever facts that the international body can bring out, then that is a good propaganda for one to earn his spurs.

This is where the "Zam approach" of striking to distract appears to be focusing on wrong targets. Like attacking Brad Pitt who is supposed to give us an "inferiority complex". To what great propaganda objective, good for Barisan Nasional, do Brad deserve such an honour?

Like again in the present instance. One cannot change the minds of international community from negative conclusions drawn from the ICG report by attacking the DAP's call to the government to issue a white paper or by asking DAP to "support all government efforts to combat militant activities in Malaysia, even with the use of the Internal Security Act (ISA), which provides for detention without trial" ( Zam asks DAP to back gov't efforts against militancy, including use of ISA ).

This deflection of what DAP raised (the need to address the ICJ report) may score points domestically against opposition and NGOs' criticism of ISA but hardly address at all the main problem of international audience and perception, which is the first problem.

This is where Deputy Information Minister Zainudin Maidin has to polish up his act and credentials as the chief propaganda warden of the ruling party. He has to first identify the proper audience that has to be influenced with Malaysia's image of moderate Islamic nation dedicated to the fight against terrorism and fanaticism by attacking the right targets, not the wrong ones. A crash course in advertising will give the basics.