“The gaffe sparked media outrage in both Malaysia and Australia,(17) and has greatly reinforced public perception that the New Straits Times and most mainstream media merely serve as propaganda mouthpieces for the ruling Barisan Nasional.
“Mahathir considered Russia to become a future rival to the United States and Israel and praised Putin for criticizing and standing up to American and Western interference in other sovereign states.”
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New Straits Times - Wikipedia
Malaysia–Russia relations - Wikipedia
