Let me share some of my thoughts on The Sun's reporting of a so-called plot to kill the prime minister and his deputy.

For starters, even if such a report wasn't a fairy tale, The Sun should have either worked closely with the right authorities before making the matter public or, in going it alone, could have reported that the authorities are stepping up security measures in the wake of Sept 11 and among these measures are one dealing with specific scenarios like an assassination attempt on, for example, either the PM or his deputy or both etc etc.

Instead, The Sun went to town for its 15 minutes of glory. The story, as published, was as good as saying that both the PM and DPM have been killed. The report, even as entertainment, was a pretty shoddy attempt.

Was The Sun trying to create public alarm under the guise of being a public service organisation?

Any pathetic defence that the story is true is besides the point. What's the point of saying they checked the story with a deputy minister, etc.

How naive can you get?

However, it would not be surprising if there was a hidden agenda to get rid of some journalists at The Sun or perhaps there was an internal plot of some kind hatched within The Sun. Either way, the errant journalists worked themselves into a mess and helped cook their own goose.

A Sun reporter posed a very naive, indeed insulting question, when asking the PM whether he pressured the daily's owners to get the errant journalists out of the company. Would any PM in his right mind, even Dr Mahathir in his darkest moments, really stoop that low?

In any case, The Sun's owners were right in getting rid of all those who were involved in the unfortunate 'Plot to kill PM/DPM' story. Under the circumstances, this is the least they can do.

I wish The Sun well. Let's hope this unfortunate episode doesn't distract The Sun from taking on and pushing New Straits Times into third place.

They (NST) have some old people there who refuse to leave even after retiring and still hang around the place, determined to cause even more damage than they have done previously and continue to be an enormous financial burden to the shareholders.

They even appear to have sworn eternal vengeance in their determination to not only keep out anyone who can help the paper win back its former glory but also get rid of anyone who, heaven forbid, wants to help the company win back its historical place in the sun.

NST is a great institution but unfortunately the place is run by people who have virtually no qualms about openly and shamelessly declaring time-and-again that they love Umno and are card-carrying members who would willingly give up their lives for Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad etc, etc.

Whoever comes in, it's the same old story. Like old wine in a new bottle. Insisting on the privilege of cringing, crawling and groveling before the powers-that-be, i.e. even without being asked, and in the process being a perennial source of acute embarrassment to their political masters until they are unceremoniously removed in order to allow a repeat of history.

NST should hire journalists who believe in being journalists first, second and last while keeping in mind nation-building and the national interest without being crusaders. NST needs a paradigm shift.

Still, even good journalists may not save NST given its huge debt burden. It may be a case of too little, too late.

Already, the wolves and vultures are gathering to pick up the pieces. Nanyang Siang Pau, for example, has plans to publish Capital Times, an English-language daily. The demise of NST will see the birth of Capital Times.