I refer to the former American Ambassador to Malaysia, John R Malott's letter 'Who are these people?' (Sept 11). He asked "Who is Amy Ridenour?"

Answer: Amy Ridenour is the recipient of the American Hero Award from the National Defense Council Foundation in 1988 and the William Paca Award from the Maryland Republican State Central Committee in 1979.

She is the president and chairperson of the National Center for Public Policy Research. As the founding chief executive officer, she has since 1982 promoted the conservative and free market perspective on US domestic, foreign and defence policy issues. She frequently speaks on public policy issues and political organising techniques and has done so across the US, in Central America and in Europe. Since 1997, her opinions and editorials have been syndicated by Knight-Ridder.

For more information on Ridenour, see the website below.

Malott's second question is "Who is this American Defense Council?"

Answer: Bernama and the New Straits Times got the name wrong. It should have been "The National Center For Public Policy Research", a non-partisan conservative/free market foundation established in 1982 and located on Capitol Hill. Their website address is listed [#2] here [/#]. The article written by Ridenour, which is referred to by Malott, is listed on the organisation's website [#3] here [/#].

If Malott, being an ex-ambassador of the US, is not 'knowledgeable' even on things happening in his own country, is he really qualified to talk, let alone pass judgment, on things happening in Malaysia? I wonder what else he is 'not aware' of. Who is talking nonsense now?

Of course, it's all Bernama and NST 's fault for getting the organisation's name wrong in the first place. But at least they got the facts right.