The hottest news in town is about the clash between Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (AAB). What is this clash about? It is not about Proton, the crooked bridge or APs. It is about Ali Baba's cave.

Dr M has had the key to this cave for 22 years and his band of thieves has been making a comfortable living off it. Now with the key in AAB's hand for three years, Dr M's band of thieves are really getting quite hungry again.

AAB and his new and young band of rascals are now beginning to enjoy the bounty of Ali Baba's cave. Both Dr M's band and AAB's posse are dirty and we are now waiting to see how down and dirty they will get. Whoever wins, the country will be robbed blind.

This talk about fighting for race, religion and country are is all bull. This fight is about money with a capital M. It is not about policy or how to help the Malays. The race and religious issues are only tools these people use to keep them in power. There are only a sideshow to keep us blind.

Have we have forgotten about the billions that Dr M's cronies have siphoned from the Ali Baba's cave. The whole Umno government system is about gaining the position to hold the key to Ali Baba's cave. There are big caves and small caves.

Dr M said that we are not good negotiators as the government always ends up with the short end of the stick. The truth is we are not bad negotiators but corrupted negotiators. Those in the position to make decisions are paid off so that we get bad terms.

The small caves are those in control of the city and town councils. Take, for example, the case of pest control concession awarded by MPSJ and MPS. It is so clear that this is a case of corruption. I guess we are so used to it that we have accepted as the norm.

What can we the ordinary people do? Use your vote wisely the next time around. Your vote counts, believe me.