COMMENT | Last month, I received an email from a former media colleague who asked me whether a person sharing my surname, whom he got acquainted with recently, was related to me.

He told me he was in Papua New Guinea (PNG), something I wasn’t aware of as we have not been in touch for some time.

After clearing his initial query, I asked when and why he moved to PNG. His reply: “Started work here on March 3, 2019. Cannot cari makan in Malaysia anymore. Need to do some work to keep my brains working. So, might as get a job and be paid well, instead of doing free work and services for politicians who don’t keep their word.”

I’m happy for my ex-colleague. He is still healthy, in his early sixties and a good writer. I’m not sure about the part of him working for politicians, but I do know him as a decent, well-meaning guy...