Two members of my Cheras neighbourhood committee in their late 30s or early 40s dropped by my house for a visit the other day. They had discovered the big advertisement in the Chinese news portal Fung Yin Times that I was a three-term MP once. So they invited me to their next gathering, for some food and chat.

Since my neighbourhood committee had set up their own security system, the frequent break-ins that used to terrorise the residents have disappeared. For that, we are more than ready to part with the RM50 per month. The social capital that they have accumulated through organising themselves has created a community spirit that never existed before.

One of my visitors was a new DAP member with Cliff Tan Kok Wai’s Cheras branch. He informed me that Cliff was going to move into our neighbourhood soon. The other was an independent voter, who obviously had no love for BN. He said he seldom read the Chinese newspapers, and relied on the Internet for news and opinions.