In the past few years, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has been travelling almost like an anxious nomad. Malaysia seems to have become merely a hotel for him. After coming back from Antarctica, Europe, US, Japan, US, South Korea, he is now off to the Vatican.

As expected and without any surprise, the official media play the one-sided, moribund and nauseating theme of Mahathir being 'recognised' and 'honoured' by the world.

Are Malaysians so lacking in self-confidence and self-worth that we need to spend so much public fund to pay for the unending recognition-seeking trips of Mahathir, his advisers and propagandists ?

The sad irony is that while he is allegedly recognised by world leaders, sexual, financial and political scandals have turned Umno and MCA, the twin backbone of the ruling coalition Barisan Nasional, into an 'Animal Farm' where there is no more sense of shame, and where the law of jungle rules and innocent (by innocent, I mean all those who have not been proven guilty by any court of law) people could be detained at will.

Malaysians must learn to recognise the realities at home and not be tempted to close our eyes to injustices, by all the media hype about the 'globalisation' of Mahathir. Charity begins at home.