COMMENT | In 2007, a sleepy village northeast of London called Brickendonbury made the headlines in Malaysia. The Sports Ministry helmed by Azalina Othman Said wanted to develop the Tun Abdul Razak Research Institute's facilities into a "forward base" for Malaysian athletes competing in Europe.

From Day One, I was against the project as a wanton waste of money. It was a waste of public money, and for good measure suggested it would end up being a boarding place for selected politicians (read: Umno) and their cronies on their sojourns to London.

Many saw it as an opportunity for a selected few to plan their retirement!

Spin doctors and PR gurus (and self-appointed experts) - both local and foreign - were engaged to bolster the argument that it would be good for Malaysian sports.

When that did not work, a senior lawyer was roped in to threaten to prosecute me and the editor for “working against national interests” - whatever that meant.

The ambitious project running into several million ringgit was brought down to earth with a thud much later when the East Herts Council rejected the plans.

At about the same time, another “circus” came to town...