Last Friday, as I was travelling back to my office after appearing in the Courts, there was a slight traffic congestion as I passed by Istana Negara. Some tour buses were making their way to Istana Negara and trying to find a place to park. As it is, there were a couple of buses parked outside the gates of Istana Negara already and these other buses were finding it hard to manourve to a decent parking space in the midst of the hundreds of photo-snapping tourists.

The scene brought my memories to the time when I visited Buckingham Palace. No, I need to rephrase that. I went to visit the gates of Buckingham Palace. That's right. I went to the gates, jostled amongst the few hundred other tourists and tried to get a photo of a guard sitting on a horse. Or maybe, I think the guard was standing next to the horse. I can't remember that well. It was more than 10 years ago. I did not go into Buckingham Palace. I did not even step into its famed grounds.

I then realised that many tourists pay money and spend time to visit the gates of famous places. No, they can't go in. I can't get into Istana Negara or Buckingham Palace. I could only see the palace on the outside and imagine how beautiful and extravagant it would be on the inside. But why? Why just stand outside? I am sure that behind the minds of all those gate-tourists, they would not hesitate a bit if invited to go into these palaces to admire the interiors. Better still, be invited to stay in the palace...eternally. What's the point of visiting a gate but being unable to go beyond? One can't say that he has visited the place if all he has done is to merely stand outside and take a picture from the outside. It's like saying you've been to Singapore but the reality is that you were just standing on the Causeway at Malaysian border. It is just not the same.

So, if one day, you are standing outside the gate of Heaven, would you not want to be able to get into Heaven? I pray that you have the keys to unlock the door to Heaven. I know I have.