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Today Tuesday 14^th September I take myself mentally back to KL. Back to Bangsar….to Jalan Tandok and into my “almost a condominium” unit in Bangsar Permai. “Almost a condominium” because we have a swimming pool, squash courts, what could pass of as a gym and of course the obligatory guard at the gate that is suppose to secure the condo against unwelcome visitors. Off and on we have had a “restaurant” and a “shop.” So we are “almost a condominium”. So technically you could say ‘my condo” in Bangsar Permai!   

What am I thinking? It is early morning coffee time and I sit in my living room looking at the greenery around me. The first thing I want to know more about is the murder of Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya’s and her three companions. A Datuk had a hand in her murder? Who gave him that Datukship – was it one of the Sultans or heavens forbids, the Federal government? Did money buy that Datukship or was it for services rendered? If money how much was paid – if it was for services rendered what were the services rendered? For the Police how was it possible for something like this to happen in Malaysia? Was it not just yesterday that the Director of Communications for the GTP at the Performance Management and Delivery Unit in the Prime Minister's Department (Pemandu), Alex Iskandar Liew, said:

“the overall crime index in January to August dropped 16.24% over the same period last year.

Street crimes have also seen a significant decrease to 37% in the same time period. Liew said the positive results were driven by, among others, police omnipresence (2,026 per day), diligence at various crime hotspots, the mobilisation of 372,550 Rakan Cop members, 105,850 voluntary patrol scheme members in addition to the reassignment of 6,791 police personnel to the frontline and 3,814 civilians to police desk jobs”

You know what they said about statistics…. "Lies, damned lies, and statistics"

And then there is the Sodomy Two trial, the MACC circus with the late Teoh Beng Hock at center staged…justice, Law and Order run amok?

There is also the party election for PKR. A robust exercise in democracy. One member one vote! Cakap serupa bikin! It will be a contest of popularity and not control of factional blocks within PKR.Yes the tension is almost bubbling over and yet is contained just under the surface. With the specter of the 13^th General Elections looming over everyone’s head and the possibility of Sodomy Two putting Anwar behind bars again – the stakes are high. PKR is deciding who will come after Anwar. It will end with some bruised egos and a baptism of fire for those uninitiated to political realities – but surely this is a ritual any political party will have to go through to come of age? You can read what you want into the outcome of PKR party elections but when the dust settles, life goes on for PKR.

The Kelantan Sultanate is undergoing an upheaval of the family kind. Interesting! They have been in the news to many times in these past few months but all for the wrong reasons. In the end it will just confirm what we humans usually do.

Take what we can for ourselves when an opportunity presents itself. Rarely would any consideration of what is right or wrong be allowed to interfere. The higher the stakes the lesser the considerations.

Where in Malay culture are aged parents put in old folks home? Are they not held in high reverence for as long as they live amongst us? Amongst Kelantan Royalty methinks the stakes are too high to prevent the ascent of a son to the throne while his father is still alive. Most of those involved in the intrigues of this Royal House will have satisfied themselves that they were merely doing their duty to the state. For most of us it is simply what it really is – a son taking over the throne of his father because he can! And so we have reached a new low in an institution that was once regarded so highly of. Taking their cue from UMNO perhaps? Not to be outdone NST came up with what could almost be construed as an obituary titled: “Tuanku Ismail Petra known as a caring ruler”.

Is there anything happening anywhere in the country that could be caused for celebration? Well a new IGP last week. If you believe this IGP is going to be any different from the one that came before him then you will also believe that the RMAF base at Sungai Besi will be part of the Green Belt ringing KL quite like the Lake Gardens! Huh!

Rome did not fall in a day. But fall it did. The Soviet Union fell twenty years ago. I remember the final words of Chris Patten, the Last Governor of Hong Kong who said, “ Now Hong Kong people are to run Hong Kong. That is the promise and that is the unshakeable destiny” but who would dispute that Hong Kong is now under the total control of China? In KL whatever big money to be made has been made and those that have pocketed these bonanza of ill-gotten wealth are well placed to live where their money has been parked –and it certainly is not in Malaysia!

In KL there are too many shopping malls and the people having too little extra money to spend. Small businesses understand that feelings too well because they are at the front of the bust and the booms. They have no money stashed overseas. Their very survival is dependent directly to what is happening on a day-to-day basis in the country. And they are not happy. Not hopeful of the times they are living in now and less eager to see what the future will bring. It is not the time to hope for change because they know that the Barisan Government is too caught up with trying to survive politically on a day-to-day and week-to-week basis. These small businesses know that they have to look after themselves until after the 13^th general elections.

You no longer buy newspaper or watch to much TV. To many government propagandas and sickly attempts at winning the hearts and minds of the people. To much for us to stomach. The electronic media provides us with all the information and entertainment we seek. It also allows us to seamlessly connect with those who share our thoughts and sentiments. You know everyone is waiting for the 13^th general elections. You wait with them.