No great empire is ever permanent, wrote former communication and multimedia minister Salleh Said Keruak in a blog post today.

"What used to be the great empires of Greece, Portugal, Spain, Rome and so on today hang in the balance on the verge of collapse.

"One thing for sure, though, is that all the great empires now lost will never become great empires again. Once it is gone it is gone for good," wrote Salleh.

Taking on a very philosophical tone, Salleh said change was the only constant thing in life and resisting change was as good as resisting the tide.

"And we need to give it time to prove whether that change is good or bad. And if it is bad then the agent of change will yet again bring about change.

"But that change will never revert to what used to be because what used to be would no longer be there.

"That is the downside of change," he said.

Salleh was a victim of change when Sabahans changed government for the fourth time since the state's independence.

He was the BN candidate for Kota Belud and lost to Parti Warisan Sabah's women's wing chief Isnaraissah Munirah Majlis, aged 34.