COMMENT | “Malaysian Politicians Say the Darndest Things” is the title of two volumes of books penned by writer and filmmaker Amir Muhammad. They were published more than 15 years ago.

Since then, there have been so many nonsensical utterances by politicians to warrant at least another two volumes. But close on the heels of these howler-prone specimens come corporate leaders, especially those in government-linked companies.

Let me make a qualification before my comments. I am a train lover and had my first train journey on a steam engine train from Klang to Kuala Lumpur in the 1950s.

Then in the 1960s came the diesel-powered rail cars which covered the same route. I had also travelled to Singapore by the “Night Mail”.

When travelling overseas, it is always public transport. When studying in Berlin in 1991, I took the night train to Warsaw and Prague to avoid paying for hotels by spending the night on trains.

Then when posted to London...