Forgive me if this week's column makes even less sense than usual, but I'm still battling to adapt to the massive climate changes I've been experiencing in my move from Malaysia back to Australia.

The political climate here, for example, could hardly be more different. In place of the oppressive feeling in Malaysia that there's still no change in sight after 50 years of incessant rein by Barisan Nasional, in Australia there's a sense of spring in the air as prospects of a change of government continue to brighten.

On Tuesday Sept 4 as I write this, the latest Newspoll survey predicts 59 percent of the vote for Labour as against 41 percent for the current Coalition government in the forthcoming federal elections.

And according to The Australian newspaper, if these poll figures become a reality, the Coalition will not only suffer a landslide defeat, but also a dozen of its ministers, including Prime Minister John Howard, will lose their parliamentary seats.

After over a decade in power, John Howard is fighting hard to stave-off such a total political eclipse. And one ploy he's using is to host an Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) summit starring the leaders of a score of countries including, in alphabetical order, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, the USA and Vietnam.

But instead of the ray of sunshine that Howard hoped this event would prove for him, so far it's brought nothing but heavy weather. For a start, he chose the wrong venue. Instead of staging the thing in Canberra, Australia's relatively small, isolated and easily-secured National Capital, he elected to inflict it on Sydney, many of whose inhabitants are strenuously objecting.

Which is hardly surprising, considering that security for the heads of government and their entourages is an all-out effort that some sectors of the media are referring to as a "ring of steel": a five-kilometre steel-mesh fence, 1500 defense personnel, 5000 police, fleets of patrol vehicles, boats and aircraft and 30 buses fitted-out as mobile prisons for unauthorised intruders and unruly demonstrators.

Rings of steal

If the ring of steel itself is irking much of Sydney's populace, so is the presence in their midst of many of the people it's designed to protect.

Like George W Bush, widely reviled around the world for the ring of steel and tissue of lies that John Howard and Tony Blair helped him erect around Iraq.

Like China's President Hu Jintao, whose Communist Party continues to encircles his country's citizens like a ring of totalitarian steel. And Russian President Vladimir Putin, who seems determined in his steely purpose to restore the iron curtain between his nation and the rest of Europe.

And then we have Vietnam's Nguyen Tan Dung, Indonesia's Susilo Bambang, the Philippines' Gloria Arroyo, Thailand's Surayut Chulanon, Papua New Guinea's Michael Somare and of course Malaysia's Abdullah Badawi, all of whom could be said to preside over systems so riddled with corruption and cronyism that they resemble not so much rings of steel as rings of steal.

The agenda of the APEC summit is another problem, as it includes perennially stormy issues like free trade and climate change.

In fact Malaysian Trade Minister Rafidah Aziz has already started stealing John Howard's thunder by warning him and George Bush against hijacking the global warming debate, on the grounds that Australia and the US lack credentials to lead discussions on the subject as they're not party to the Kyoto Protocol on greenhouse gas reduction.

And Indonesian delegate Rachmat Witoelar has added a nice touch of fantasy to the forthcoming APEC deliberations by declaring in an interview with The Australian that Jakarta has "zero tolerance" for the illegal burning of rainforest.

So all in all I think you'll agree that the political climate in Australia this week is both unsettled and in some respects unsettling.

Unsettling too is the Sydney sporting climate, with the admission by former rugby league icon Andrew Johns, after he was caught in possession of an ecstasy tablet by police in London, that he used illicit drugs throughout his illustrious career.

And an outbreak of equine influenza that's put Sydney racehorses in quarantine has effectively ruined the Spring Carnival and threatened the livelihoods of trainers, jockeys, bookies and others dependent on the horse racing industry.

Welcoming social climate

Aside from that, from what I see and hear in the media, the business climate in Australia seems to be fine. Though I haven't done any actual business myself yet, as snowed-under as I've been by chores like apartment-hunting and all the other trials involved with moving from one country to another.

Though these efforts have been greatly eased by the warm and welcoming social climate my family and I have enjoyed since we arrived back here, thanks to a veritable united nation of friends united in the notion that we're all here for each other.

Katherine and Sivam, old friends from Malaysia now living in Canberra, who took such good care of my wife when she came here in advance of my daughter and me. Alice and Ollie, who so personify Philippino hospitality.

Nora, our old pal from Peru via the UK and now domiciled in Darwin, who gave us refuge her house in Sydney. Ali from Scotland and Thomas from Sardinia, who've loaned us so much household shite and moral support.

Portuguese friends John and Albertina, to whom nothing is too much trouble. And dyed-in-the-wool Australians Fred and Lisette, who evoked recent memories of Malaysia by treating us with a slap-up yum cha in Chinatown.

Not that we really needed reminding of Malaysia, as our family and friends there are as close as the phone, email, blogsites and airlines can keep them.

And every time Sydney's clear blue skies turn cloudy, and its sea breezes turn from fresh to freezing, we're bound to wish we could balik kampung to swelter there in the heat and humidity, and bask in the company of the kawan-kawan baik we so fondly recall.