Denmark House

Ceasefire
Marina and I agreed that Denmark House "has changed" so much, as we looked up the towering building. Not faraway on the right was another towering structure, the KL Tower.
"I remember it to be smaller and quite old," Marina remarked.
"Mmm. Yeah, that's how I remember it," I said, still looking up at the gleaming structure.
The truth is, I had never been anywhere near Wisma Denmark in my life to notice any difference until, of course, January 25 when I joined several others, including journalists and well-known Malaysian bloggers, to give Rocky moral support in his court case (the defamation suit against him by the NSTP and 4 of the company's top executives).
Yesterday (Tuesday, January 30) with Marina, Rocky, Sheih, Stephen, Bernard, Zahrin, Akram et al at Wisma Denmark to give Jeff Ooi (who faces a similar suit by the NSTP and 3 of the individuals) would make it just my third time there.
Hmm, it does look new and so huge, I thought.
I used to past Wisma Denmark whenever I took that stretch of Jalan Ampang. I would not give the building a second look.
The last time I walked past the building was in 2005 when I took the LRT from Bangsar to the Dang Wangi station enroute to the Pakistan High Commission to get my visa (for a media tour of Pakistan).
I had never quite bothered to look at the building which is so named because it is where the Royal Embassy of Denmark is located. The embassy occupies the 22nd floor.
Now, I am getting familiar with the building, one of the oldest landmark in Kuala Lumpur's golden triangle.
It is also where the high courts (hearing civil cases) are.
Over the years as an editor at the NST, the name "Wisma Denmark" was regularly relayed to me as our court reporters would call up to say that they would be covering this or that civil case at Wisma Denmark.
Rosnazura, former NST court reporter who is now working in a GLC, used to call in, usually about 10am to say: "Kak Ena, nothing much is happening at Jalan Raja. Just some cases for mention. I am going to Wisma Denmark. It seems there is a xxxmillion ringgit suit..."
Or, "Kak Ena, I am in Wisma Denmark. There is a civil case...". Wisma denmark this and wisma denmark that.
Now, it looks like I will be calling someone or other to say that, hey, I am in Wisma Denmark, it's Jeff's case, or Rocky's case.
And I'd be here at Wisma Denmark for anybody who is being sued by a newspaper for defamation.
By the way, my next visit will be February 22 for Rocky's hearing and March 6, for Jeff's.

* We were all at the lobby some time after 9am, waiting for the lift to take us upstairs to the courtroom when Jeff's lawyers emerged from one of the lifts.
Jeff, who was delayed by the unusually bad traffic jam (caused by the closure of Jalan Raja Laut for FT Day rehearsals), was with us.
"Is it over?" we all chorused.
"Yes, yes," said Jeff's counsel, Haris Ibrahim,
Wow, that was fast, we all remarked.
"Let's go to the mamak shop for teh tarik!" I think it was Rocky who suggested that.
What a wonderful idea, Rocky. That was everyone's thought.
Actually, the mamak shop seems to be the direction everyone takes as soon as they step out of the lift.
Here is the outcome of Jeff's case -- that all parties not publish any articles, comments or posts regarding the dispute that may be regarded as subjudice or that may prejudice the fair trial of the case.
Rocky says this is a ceasefire. It is.
Anyway, here's a thought, borrowed from Aung San Suu Kyi:

It is not power that corrupts but fear. Fear of losing power
corrupts those who wield it and fear of the scourge of power corrupts those who
are subject to it.