With reference to the SBS report - which was relayed by Bernama

- on Anwar Ibrahim's links to International Institute of Islamic Thoughts (IIIT), it is very disturbing that such news was done right after the emotional plea by Dr Mahathir Mohamad for Muslims to strengthen our own resources and to use their brain strategically to overcome the weaknesses of the ummah .

With hardly a week before Abdullah Ahmad Badawi takes on the premiership, one finds hard to believe that our national news agency has been in such a haste to contradict the very critical appeal of our outgoing prime minister.

It is obvious to most Malaysians as to reason why Anwar has been rendered politically inactive, yet what have befallen him will be minute compared to the potential damages that are in the making against the ummah as a result of such a Bernama report.

The establishment of IIIT has long been known to be a product of change for the ummah to act wisely and harmoniously in the intellectual sense, consistent with international norms. A number of its founders, such as the late Ismail Faruqi, were also close acquaintances of our prime minister.

I must say many are confused on the underlying motivation as to why Bernama and the mainstream news media would like us to have the impression that IIIT, a reputable US-based international Islamic academic entity, is associated with terror.

Is it that Muslims should not be using their brains too or was it simply an outcome of an exercise in futility by the political powers-would-be, to politically discredit Anwar, which has such a destructive ummah -wide repercussion?