It was rather comical reading about Dr Mahathir Mohamad's ire over the reported matter of the wife of Anwar Ibrahim meeting with foreign diplomats and a host of representatives from various NGOs where the agenda was the health of the former deputy prime minister.

What was comical was how he allowed his emotion, anger and a substantial portion of his reported statements to be governed by a report made by Utusan Malaysia where the reporter as well as the editor knew for a fact that they were not fully aware of the facts.

The manner of his reaction honestly frightens as on the other hand he tells us not to listen to rumours. Yet a Malaysian-government-certified newspaper delivers news that it knows to be false to the point of having no less than the prime minister dependant on it to admonish servants of foreign governments.

Firstly, Utusan Malaysia knew the meeting was not secret because they too got wind of the meeting through the FreeAnwar.com website which had listed this meeting almost a week before the date of the meeting. Yet they chose to refer to it as a secret meeting.

Secondly, they had no knowledge nor eye witness evidence of whether John Malott, the immediate past US ambassador to Malaysia, was present at the meeting, yet they placed him at the meeting.

Since this is more than enough evidence to show not just Malaysians, but the rest of the world, how easily Mahathir can allow himself to be influenced by information that comes from unreliable sources, it should make one wonder the quality of the information he relied on to do all that he has done and say all that he has said over the last several years. We all know only too well about the quality of information he had relied on when he accused Anwar of beating himself up to cause the infamous black eye. It frightens to know that we are indeed led by one who chooses to and allows himself to be influenced by what the rest of the country know Utusan Malaysia to be.

And soon we will have to see how one man, Mohd Ezam Mohd Nor, has to defend himself on a charge of sedition brought against him based on a report by none other than Utusan Malaysia . If indeed, even with the new chief justice, the judiciary has yet to see the light, then I would imagine they will give currency to such a newspaper and Ezam might be found guilty.