I refer to Malaysiakini's report, Tell-all author, betrayed by two tycoons .

Pity Dr Mahathir Mohamad, just when he is recovering from his heart bypass, one of his former aides has deemed it fit to publish a book which is damaging to his former boss' legacy. The old premier can either keep quiet about the contents of the book or sue the author for slander.

One would suspect that the former press secretary has an axe to grind by publishing the book as he was played out by two of the former premier's favorite tycoons - Vincent Tan and Ananda Krishnan - for not paying him enough for doing his part in getting the duo business projects from the old premier.

It is an open secret that being gatekeepers to those in power is a lucrative profession as they can act as good middlemen who can get things done faster for the powerful tycoons. Many politically-connected people who knock on the right doors have become multimillionaires by being commission agents or rent-seekers to the powers-that-be.

It is not uncommon to hear that people who work with ministers have their hand greased in order for big businessmen to win big government tenders at a lower cost if they can penetrate the inner circle of a minister or prime minister who can literally 'fix' anything if the price is right.

From the Lingam tape controversy , a tycoon's name was mentioned in fixing the top judicial post of this country. Even now people are whispering that in order to get things done in this country, you must get the blessing of the fourth floor of the Prime Minster's Office before it can be sanctioned by the prime minster.

Even our police force is not immune to the controversy as it seems that powerful underworld kingpins control the vice and illegal lending activities with impunity as their leaders have close relationships with the top brass of the police as what has been said by a senior cop who incidentally is charged in court with non-disclosure of assets.

Kiss-and-tell books are normally published in the West after the incumbent has left office and I suppose the drift is catching up here. Even Tony Blair has exposed his political difference with his successor Gordon Brown but it is all political, not personal, unlike here.

Will we expect more dirt about our former leaders to be exposed by their aides in the future as people love to hear 'gossips' about the high and mighty. Our leaders' strengths and weaknesses while they hold fort makes for good reading material. Stay tune.