Last Updated: May 2021
Remember The Star columnist plagiarism controversy in Malaysia way back in the year 2012?
It was then a big news among the Malaysians netizens.
A couple of her articles were found to have copied directly from various sources that include articles from Yahoo website, Psychology Today, an essay by a Columbia University professor, and even a humor website.
When I first published this blog post in 2012, it went viral via LowYat forum.
She lodged a complaint to Malaysia Computer Emergency Response Team (MyCERT).
Then I rewrote this blog post.
According to MyCert, the content of the post was inappropriate and abusive.
Well, it is not my intention to taunt , to squib or to deride anyone.
But as they say the truth hurts, period.
This time, in 2021, (30 April 2021 to be exact) my host server informed me that Cloudflare sent them an abuse report regarding this blog post.
Cloudflare received a report from a complainant regarding a posting by this website which is complainant claimed that this posting falsely accused her for doing something she did not commit.
Complainant request to remove this posting as this posting mentioned her name.
This blog post is the second rewrite. Phew!
One more time, I rewrote the content of this blog post and removed all her name.
Now I just merely mention the Malaysian Star columnist who plagiarized.
I have even changed the URL of this post.
The Star Columnist Plagiarism
Actually, back then I just summarized and rewrote what I had read about this Star columnist alleged plagiarized writing from this blog Uppercaise.
Anyway, there was no oversight on my part of not citing the sources, not like this The Star contributor.
When I first read it, I was beyond flabbergasted.
I refused to believe the online allegations and exposé, even till today.
Frankly, I am still shell-shocked!
Anyway:
All the alleged plagiarized articles by this female writer published in The Star newspaper are still available online till today (2021).
So are the original articles which she was accused of copying from.
I think three of the articles from her fortnightly column have been removed by The Star online site.
They all lead to 404 pages.
But with the help from The Wayback Machine, you can still read all of them, as they were.
If you want to know whether all the accusations and allegations of her is true or other wise, then read and compare them.
You can still read about the brouhaha over her plagiarized writing from the other Malaysian websites.
You just google ‘beauty in star column plagiarism‘ or ‘The Star column plagiarism allegations‘ and you can read all about it.
So far, The Star newspaper did not offer any explanation.
Her so-called apology in her Facebook posting back then, did not acknowledge having lifted material from articles published by others.
She said it was an oversight that the sources were not cited within the article and this was never an intention by her or anyone involved.
So, are all the rampant allegations of The Star columnist plagiarism, true or not?
Plagiarism Case In Malaysia
Talking about plagiarism case in Malaysia, this Malaysian Star columnist is not the only one who was accused of it.
Remember back in 2009, there was this shameful case of plagiarism from Malaysia, which the whole wide world know about.
There is this then young Malaysian writer Adeline Lee Zhia Ern.
One of her stories titled “Define Happiness” from her first book “Lethal Lesson and Other Stories” published by Silverfish Books, was caught or plagiarizing.
Adeline Lee’s story was nearly identical to the story “Happiness” by Sarah Provençal from Jack Canfield’s “Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul IV: More Stories of Life, Love and Learning” published in 2004.
You can still find this embarrassing report in many websites, including Wikipedia page of Chicken Soup For The Soul.
Note: You can read/download this free book below.
Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul IV. More Stories of Life, Love and Learning
Click on any of these: Link 1, Link 2
In 2006, the then New Straits Times (NST) group editor Brendan Pereira A/L John Pereira who plagiarized the work of Mitch Albom, who is better known for his book “Tuesday With Morris“.
Mitch Albom’s column,“Remembering the Day before the Day” published in Detroit Free Press on the September 10, 2006.
Mr. Pereira published his article title “How Dearly We Miss June the Sixth” in NST on October 30, 2006.
You can see the similarity here.
Another two of Brendan Pereira’s writing which was exposed for plagiarism can be find here.
Unfortunately, Malaysia is also notorious of academic plagiarism.
These days you can check for plagiarism free online.
“…believe those who are seeking the truth; doubt those who find it; doubt everything, but don’t doubt of yourself.” – André Gide
“Croyez ceux qui cherchent la vérité, doutez de ceux qui la trouvent.” (French)
(So Be It: Or, The Chips Are Down (Ainsi Soit-il; Ou, Les Jeux Sont Faits) by André Gide, Translated From French To English By Justin O’Brien, London: Chatto & Windus, 1960, P. 146) source
(The quote in French is found in: Poésie: Journal (1917 à 1949) Feuillets D’automne. Et Nune Manet In Te. Ainsi Soit-il; Ou, Les Jeux sont Faits By André Gide, Paris: Gallimard, 1952, P. 970) source
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