I have followed very closely, the recent hoopla surrounding malaysiakini . To be honest, I am somewhat disappointed by the political naivete shown by the online daily. It seems that while malaysiakini reserves the right to push for a 'secular humanist worldview', it nevertheless practices double standards when confronting Western transgression. Consequently any fall-back to the stale argument of 'press and journalistic freedom', is nothing more than a complete farce.

Asean is not America. The press in Asean is not the 'Fourth Estate' and 'infallible guardian' of Western ideals. Here I completely support the views as expressed by Deputy Premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi recently in Singapore. To paraphrase him, there are legitimate grounds for a somewhat autocratic governance in multireligious, Third World countries - in making a smooth transition to a uniquely 'Asian modernity' over a period of 40 to 50 years.

We in Asean need not apologise to anyone for this stance. Asean is not 'beholden' to Western interests. Furthermore, having spent some time in the United States, I am not in the least bit impressed by the so-called 'American Media'. Especially when it seems that their media is nothing more than a mouthpiece for the vested interests of the privileged few; a medium for the 'mass hypnosis' of the many, subject to the 'subtle blackmail' of the few.

No, we are not America and we need not aspire to be 'bananas' and 'oreo cookies'. Long live Asean!