02/04/2026

THURSDAY | APR 2, 2026

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Diplomacy wins safe Hormuz access L ET’S give credit when it’s due. The decision by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to engage in relentless phone-call significant amounts of crude from the Persian Gulf, which is roughly 69% of its crude oil imports, to keep domestic refineries running. COMMENT by Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai

Malaysia exports its own lighter, higher-priced crude while importing heavier, cheaper oil from the Middle East that passes through the Strait of Hormuz. The closure of the strait has created significant economic pressure, forcing the government to increase fuel subsidies to control domestic prices. At a time when the Strait – through which roughly a fifth of global oil supply flows – has become a conflict zone, Iran has been restricting passage and asserting tight control over shipping. Yet, Malaysia has secured a special carve-out, with its tankers and crews allowed safe passage following direct engagement with Tehran and other regional powers. Why does Malaysia’s foreign policy work? First, Anwar has positioned Malaysia as an honest broker, not a partisan actor. Unlike major powers entangled militarily or politically, Malaysia has consistently called for de-escalation and dialogue, rejecting military involvement while maintaining moral clarity on the conflict. This neutrality gives Kuala Lumpur credibility in Tehran. Second, Anwar’s personalised diplomacy matters. In an era of fractured multilateralism, direct leader-to-leader communication – phone calls with Iranian, Turkish and Egyptian counterparts – cuts through bureaucracy and builds trust. These are not mere formalities; delivery and apparent familiarity with research but lacks methodological rigour, sustained engagement with literature and accountability to scholarly communities. A particularly troubling aspect is the misuse of academic referencing. Some individuals claim ownership over ideas simply because they have invested effort in compiling or presenting them, reflecting a misplaced analogy to the “sweat of the brow” doctrine in copyright law, where protection may be justified by the labour expended. However, extending this logic to academia is fundamentally flawed. Scholarly authority is not earned through effort alone, nor does the compilation of existing literature confer ownership over ideas. Academic credibility is instead grounded in original contribution, methodological integrity, verifiability and engagement with existing scholarship. It is produced through ethical fieldwork, robust data, critical analysis and transparent citation and strengthened through scrutiny whether by peer review, institutional oversight or validation by recognised experts. Work that merely reproduces or repackages existing material without proper grounding cannot be elevated to

diplomacy – alongside numerous foreign visits – is now yielding tangible, measurable results. Few outcomes are as strategically significant as Iran allowing Malaysian vessels to pass through the Straits of Hormuz. According to news reports, about 50% of Malaysia’s total oil passes through the narrow strip. The prime minister had called up Iranian president, Masoud Pezeshkian, while Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan also spoke to his counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, to allow seven ships to continue their journey home, of which four are carrying crude oil. Iran’s ambassador to Malaysia, Valiollah Mohammadi Nasrabadi, has stated that the vessels would be allowed to pass through the strait safely – and free of charge. As of late March, reports indicate that Iran has begun demanding “transit fees” or “tolls” from ships navigating the Strait of Hormuz, with some reports suggesting charges of up to US$2 million (RM8.03 million) per vessel. It is not just a symbolic win but a hard geopolitical achievement. Malaysia has always strongly defended its neutrality. Malaysia is a friend to everyone but we are not afraid to speak up when something isn’t right, including the attacks on Iran and the Palestinians in Gaza. The passage through the Strait of Hormuz is crucial, as while Malaysia produces its own oil, it imports IN an era where information travels faster than verification, the figure of an “expert” has become both ubiquitous and dangerously unstable. Expertise, once built through rigorous study, peer scrutiny, ethical fieldwork and institutional accountability is increasingly mimicked by individuals who lack the credentials and intellectual discipline that genuine expertise requires. These “fake experts” now shape public discourse on issues ranging from public health to national security, with consequences that are not merely academic but also social, political and potentially dangerous. This problem is driven by the erosion of traditional gatekeeping. Institutions such as universities, professional bodies and peer-reviewed journals once distinguished informed analysis from speculation. Today, however, social media platforms reward visibility over validity and algorithms privilege engagement over accuracy. In this environment, confidence is often mistaken for competence. Fake experts thrive within this system. They appropriate the language of scholars, selectively cite literature and present themselves as authoritative voices. Their performance mimics expertise, technical vocabulary, polished

Anwar’s approach demonstrates that even in a highly polarised conflict, access can be negotiated, not assumed. – REUTERSPIC

and communication. Let’s not forget that when our 23 Malaysian volunteers from the Global Sumud Flotilla were detained by Israel while on a Gaza aid mission, they were freed following intense diplomatic efforts led by Anwar last October. It was the result of many phone calls to numerous leaders, including the influential and powerful President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkiye. During peacetime, it is easy to overlook the quiet effectiveness of diplomacy conducted over the phone. Yet, the release of Malaysian tankers and the reopening of a critical

they signal respect, recognition and seriousness to a country like Iran that feels strategically isolated and “repeatedly deceived” by global powers. Third, Malaysia brings economic relevance without a strategic threat. Iran understands that Malaysia is a major energy consumer and trading partner, not a military adversary. Allowing Malaysian ships through does not weaken Iran’s geopolitical posture but strengthens its ties with a key Southeast Asian nation. We may be a small country but middle powers like Malaysia can still exercise influence, not through force, but through credibility, consistency

supply route show that such diplomacy is not naive; it is pragmatic and consequential. Anwar’s approach demonstrates that even in a highly polarised conflict, access can be negotiated, not assumed. And Malaysia, by choosing engagement over alignment, has secured something many larger nations have not – trust. That is the real strategic capital in international diplomacy. – Bernama Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai is the chairman of Bernama and a National Journalism Laureate. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com in institutions and knowledge systems. In some cases, fake experts are even mobilised to advance ideological agendas, providing a veneer of legitimacy to positions that would not withstand proper scrutiny. Addressing this challenge requires stronger standards across sectors. Media organisations must verify expertise more rigorously. NGOs and INGOs must conduct proper due diligence. Academic institutions must remain actively engaged in public discourse. Above all, it is essential to reaffirm that expertise is not validated by visibility or effort but by rigour, ethics and accountability. Ultimately, expertise is a form of social trust. It is granted to those who adhere to disciplined methods and intellectual honesty. Fake experts exploit this trust while evading its obligations. In an age defined by complex challenges, from digital radicalisation to transnational crime, the cost of mistaking performance for expertise is profound. If societies lose the ability to distinguish genuine knowledge from imitation, decisions will be shaped not by evidence but by persuasion, and persuasion however compelling is no substitute for truth. Dr Haezreena Begum Abdul Hamid is a criminologist and senior lecturer at the Faculty of Law, Universiti Malaya. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com

Dangers of fake experts in the age of algorithmic authority

expertise, regardless of the effort invested. This is especially critical in fields such as criminology, counter-terrorism and human trafficking, where credible knowledge must be rooted in empirical research, ethical engagement and authoritative sources, including peer reviewed scholarship and reports by government agencies, local authorities and reputable international organisations. These forms of knowledge are subject to accountability while algorithm-driven content is not. The danger extends beyond misinformation. Fake expertise undermines the epistemic foundations of governance and policy. Decisions on national security, criminal justice and public welfare require nuanced, evidence-based analysis. When influenced by unqualified voices, the result may be ineffective or even become harmful policy. Even established institutions are not immune. NGOs and INGOs (international non-governmental organisations), as well as media organisations, sometimes platform individuals as “experts” without rigorous verification of their credentials or experience. Such uncritical amplification legitimises pseudo expertise and misleads the public. Over time, this erodes trust in genuine experts. When all voices appear equally authoritative, audiences may retreat into scepticism, fuelling a broader crisis of trust

COMMENT by Dr Haezreena Begum Abdul Hamid

“Fake experts thrive within this system. They appropriate the language of scholars, selectively cite literature and present

themselves as authoritative voices.