Improper attack on study

RECENTLY, a scientific study conducted by Malaysian scientists funded by Nestle became the premise used by three Western journalists to attack the reputation of Dr Tee E Siong and the Nutrition Society of Malaysia in The New York Times. Reputation is everything for scientists – once it is debased, the entire scientific career could be harmed. Hence, it is imperative for scientists in Malaysia and the Health Ministry to rise up to defend the reputation of Dr Tee, the society’s president. We should not allow scientific research in Malaysia to be defamed by Western journalists who lack critical thinking and are poorly trained in science and the philosophy of science.

The article published in New York Times on Dec 23 argued that the scientific study conducted by Dr Tee and its team was tainted due to them receiving funding from Nestle. The entire article was based on a flimsy argument of corporate influence tainting science without any solid refutation to the soundness of the scientific study itself. The Western journalists have to resort to a “Harvard-trained” expert and a Harvard professor to affirm and prolong their attack.