I have just returned from KL. It was a delight, which is not something I say very often about KL – usually too busy, too crowded, too traffic jammed. But this time I stayed in Putray Jaya with a friend, and it was a pleasure.

Sandra selects a cross as a metaphor. She feels that a cross is directly related to her beliefs and more specifically, her religion. She believes that people were put on earth to carry crosses. The reason is that, according to her, people were not placed on earth to have a happy time. Although speaking sensitively, she often was at a loss for words during the interview and took many opportunities to consider and provide for long periods of time. Sandra elaborates that she is happy to carry her cross and turn to prayer often in times of need. You know that you are lonely, but you want to tell more about it to people, that loneliness is something about sadness; is something about emptiness. Loneliness is something about the inner suffering inside. It is not physical, you know. You are craving for…Emptiness would be one word that would fit it.

New government brings new hope. By Sunday 27 September, Sabahans would have elected a new government. Much has been said and promised in the campaigns, some realistic, many unrealistic, some truths and many lies, plenty of personal, immoral dirty tactics. Above all, the one that has caused much upset and anger is the implicit threat—”-align with KL for better development”. Sabah has toed KL’s line for much of the last 50 years. Result? Ignominiously ignored, neglected and downtrodden. Reflections of Sabah having been taken for granted are obvious everywhere. Sabah has become famous for all the wrong reasons—-lowest household income, highest unemployment, lowest productivity etc. Sabah’s portion of the Pan Borneo Highway is in snail progress. Completion date in 2030? 2035? 2040? The new government will face a cocktail of serious economic challenges, some old unresolved ones and many new ones. The gravest ones are those inflicted by Covid-19. Sabah is not alone. The whole world is suffering. Many advance countries including USA, UK and Germany are still grappling with this pandemic. China will be the only major economy with a positive growth in 2020. The global economy will be in negative growth territory. Prospects for recovery in 2020 is out of the window, 2021 is very bleak. Federal government is tottering with never ending political uncertainties/drama including latest announcement by DSAI [23rd September] that he has obtained a parliamentary majority.

AS we commemorate 57 years of the formation of Malaysia, we need to recapture the spirit of accommodation, moderation and compassion that animated the leaders of the Malaysia Agreement in 1963.

THE Federal Court has upheld the mandatory death sentence for those convicted of drug trafficking and murder. By an 8-1 majority decision.

The story of Adrian. Adrian selects a spinning top as a metaphor. He feels that once the top comes off the string, it goes ‘around and around’ and wanders off a little bit, and until it slows down and stops. He symbolises his life being that of a spinning top that eventually needs periodic straightening up.

Electricity off I am sitting in my apartment with no electricity. The lifts are working in the building but that’s it. So no WiFi, no computer, no nuffink. I have boiled a pan of water and am enjoying a cup of drip coffee which is delicious and I am finishing a David Baldacci thriller with no shred of guilt.  I will record the WPS quiz tomorrow and am doing this column on my lovely iPad with its wizard keyboard that makes it almost as good as a laptop.  It would have been nice to have had a bit of notice so we could have charged up all the phones and power banks, but it’s a lesson.  And if it rains this afternoon the temperature will fall from sweltering to tolerable.  I have had a cold shower and have a cold water spray to hand which I use frequently on my fevered brow. I am a wussie Brit, and I like weather - even if it is cold, muggy, hot, rainy, foggy whatever. In cold weather, you can always light a fire and wrap up warm.  Less easy in hot, away from a cooling river or sea but cold water splashes always help. .

Four years ago, Kenneth Rogoff, a former chief economist of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), made a powerful case for phasing out paper money. In his book The Curse of Cash, Rogoff argued that much paper money, especially high-denomination banknotes, facilitated tax evasion and fuelled the drug trade – all the way down the supply chain: a British study in 1999 found that only four of 500 notes tested in London had no traces of cocaine.

The Covid-19 crisis has revealed banks to be not part of the problem for a change, but part of the solution.

May I add some fuel to the present raging debates on which politician can offer better/ effective financial option for NT owners.