Deputy Information Minister Zainuddin Maidin criticised BBC 's report o­n sentiments about the US strike o­n Iraq, but went o­n to maintain that the Malaysian government's move to curtail the press is essential in order to maintain the well-being of the people and stability of the nation.

He is right, because there can never be complete freedom of any sort.

But what the government does not understand is that it cannot control and use the press to invent stories, create TV programmes such as Kelantan dalam Gerhana and Terengganu Kita toward serving the ruling political party by running down their opponents at taxpayers' expenses.

What is the difference then between RTM or TV3 and the much criticised foreign media when we talk about inaccurate reporting? The deputy minister has forfeited his right to criticise foreign media long ago, i.e. when he started being the government's chief spin-doctor.