Cockroaches Compel Recep Tayyip Erdogan To Flee

For most people, if their homes (or offices) are invaded by cockroaches, they are most likely to call in the pest-controllers. Not Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdogan (left) –  he merely abandoned the place.

 

And he stayed in a palatial home which just so happened to be newly-built. Was that a coincidence or what? Mind you, it was not just any home. It is a sprawling 1,150-room palace that cost $615 million (RM2.3 billion) – the country’s opposition had described it as needless extravagance.  

Erdogan had said on Friday that his old offices when he was prime minister from 2003-2014 were cockroach-infested. “Does such a place befit the prime ministry of Turkey?” he had asked.

 

So when he was elected president in August 2014, he couldn't tolerate it anymore. Besides his residence was already ready and he packed his bags and left.

 

Erdogan is privileged he has that option. But why can’t we learn to share our living space with cockroaches?

 

On Monday, I attended the Phoenix Toastmasters meeting in Uptown 5 at PJ's Damansara Utama. I was the Table Topics Evaluator and my feedback was uncharacteristically witty and liberally spiced with humor. I was in a jolly mood.

Overall, I enjoyed the meeting and it earned a score of 7 over 10.