HERE’S the thing: It is probably more accurate to say that it was the group of European Union (EU) ambassadors who wanted to meet Dr Mahathir Mohamad and not the other way around.

Why? Because they probably wanted to get the other side of the story on what is happening in Malaysia. A side that they wouldn’t obtain from the rag sheets sometimes known as newspapers.

And Anifah Aman, Hishammuddin Hussein and others need not worry about foreign interference in Malaysian affairs. The flotilla is not about to invade Malaysian shores.

Just like how China’s domination of infrastructure projects and the flow of easy money to help Putrajaya service its debts doesn’t signal the loss of sovereignty to Beijing, interest by one of Malaysia’s biggest trading partners in the political scenario should not be cause for concern.

But here’s the thing that is really puzzling: Najib Razak and his band of merry men in Umno have been ridiculing the 93-year-old man who leads Pakatan Harapan.

Too old. A spent force. A has-been.

But their words and actions suggest that they are fearful of Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Why worry if Dr Mahathir and his current cohorts meet a group of ambassadors? He is a has-been in Putrajaya’s books and cannot amount to much, going by what has been written and reported in the mainstream media.

And finally, please don’t get the newspapers to speak about principles or about principles being betrayed. These words sound hollow and meaningless.

A bit like Ali Baba and the 40 thieves giving a lecture on ethics. – January 28, 2018.