The ''New Straits Times'' hastelah beendituduh accusedsebagai ofsatu serving as aalat [[propaganda]] tooluntuk forkerajaan thedan governmentpemilik and its proxy ownerproksinya, the [[UnitedPertubuhan MalaysKebangsaan NationalMelayu OrganisationBersatu]] (UMNO). OneSeorang criticpengkritik hasmendakwa claimedbahawa thatakhbar the newspaperini "iskini nowhanya nothingmerupakan moresebuah thanSurat anBerita UMNO Newsletter"." <ref>Merican, Din & Musa, M. Bakri (2006). [http://www.bakrimusa.com/archives/the-bold-and-the-predictable-exchanges-with-din-merican "TheYang BoldBerani anddan TheYang PredictableDapat Diramalkan – Bertukar-tukar ExchangesPandangan withdengan Din Merican"]. RetrievedDicapai Marchpada 13, Mac 2006.</ref> ThoughWalaupun publiclytersenarai listeddalam on[[Bursa theSaham [[Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange]], the ruling Malaysian political party [[UMNO]] holdsyang amerupakan goldenparti votepolitik andpemerintah decidesmemegang allundi policies,keemasan anddan thememutuskan newspapersemua hasdasar auntuk traditionakhbar ofini. appointingAkhbar editorsini sympatheticjuga tomempunyai thetradisi governmentuntuk ofmelantik thepenyunting-penyunting day.yang {{fact}}menyokong Itskerajaan lastsemasa. Ketua Penyunting editorterakhirnya, [[Abdullah Ahmad]] (notharus totidak bedikelirukan confuseddengan with[[Perdana theMenteri primeMalaysia|Perdana ministerMenteri]] [[Abdullah Ahmad Badawi]]), wastelah sackeddipecat shortlytidak afterlama thesebelum [[persaraan]]nya retirementoleh ofbekas formerPerdana primeMenteri minister [[Mahathir Mohamad]]. TheAlasan publicrasmi reasonyang givendiberi wasadalah thatbahawa heAbdullah hadtelah writtenmenulis ansebuah articlerencana whichyang offendedmenyinggung pihak berkuasa [[SaudiArab Arabia|Saudi]], authoritiestetapi (Saudisesetengah Arabiaorang ismendakwa onebahawa ofbeliau Malaysia'stelah closeberat allies),sebelah butmenentang itMahathir hasdan been[[Najib claimedbin thatTun heHaji wasAbdul feltRazak]] to(kini be[[Timbalan biasedPerdana towards Mahathir and against Najib (currentlyMenteri Malaysia's Deputy Prime Minister]]), althoughwalaupun abeberapa fewbulan monthssebelum beforepeletakan Mahathirjawatan resignedDr. heMahathir, attemptedbeliau totelah changemencuba loyaltiesmengubahkan inkesetiaannya andengan abrupt abouttiba-facetiba tountuk suitmenyesuaikan thedengan newiklim political[[politik]] climate.yang {{fact}}baru.
[[Rehman Rashid]], a noted intellectual famous for his scathing wit has been reinstated as associate Editor, having been fired from the paper in May [[2003]] for refusing to ghostwrite for the aforementioned Abdullah Ahmad. The former Group Editor in Chief of the NST was Datuk Kalimullah Hassan, who insisted that his would be the last appointment to the position to be made directly by politicians. Despite the common perception that he is pro-Government, Kalimullah was a popular editor as he took a very hands-on approach to his job, even writing some front page articles. However, he is also accused of being overly sycophantic to his political masters and intolerant of those who do not share his views. He continues to participate in the paper's workings in an advisory capacity. Kalimullah appointed his successor, Datuk Hishamuddin Aun, in late 2005. {{fact}}
