Ladang Gadong retreats to solitude

BANTING: “So this is what it looks like,” murmured a middle-aged man as he peered over the white wall encircling a livestock farm in Ladang Gadong. His smiling wife and shy daughter hung back, unsure of whether they really wanted to see what lay beyond. “Those gates were only opened two days ago,” he said, gesturing at a small rusty iron gate a short distance away. “So I decided to take the opportunity to come here before they close it again.”

The man, who politely declined to be named, said he was a resident of Banting. Like the rest of the community in the small town, he too wanted a first-hand glimpse of the farm where cosmetics millionaire Sosilawati Lawiya and three others were murdered.“I met the lawyer brothers before,” he suddenly blurted out referring to the two main suspects. “They helped my brother with his paperwork when he bought a house three years ago. Nothing about them spelt violence. I can't believe they did this.”The man was among the smattering of curious visitors to this isolated place, located between Morib and Tanjung Sepat. With investigations seemingly drawing to a close, the crowd that once descended in droves has slowed to a trickle. Those left are a handful of journalists and the plantation workers.

Eerily quiet

The journalists who stake out the place every day have learnt to make themselves at home with camping stools and a small fire to ward off the mosquitoes. The workers, meanwhile, have learnt to ignore this little set-up and continue throwing cursory glances at the farm as they go about their day.The farm itself is eerily quiet. The wooden automatic gates still bear a sign warning of dogs even though there are none to fear any longer. Once in a while the soft crunch of gravel breaks the silence as a police officer stretches his legs. Fatigue is etched on the faces of his colleagues as they come and go from the farm.

“Please, no photos,” one of them said wearily to journalists who were lifting their cameras above the wall to snap what they hope could wind up on their paper's front-page.The rapidly dissipating furore at Ladang Gadong has also affected the small businesses in nearby areas. Restaurant operators who saw booming business in the last two weeks have found themselves back at their regular income levels.“It's been very quiet these last few days,” sighed a journalist, who had been holed up in Banting for the past week. “Everyone has seen what they wanted to see. I think we might be ready to pack up here.”For now, it looks like Ladang Gadong is ready to reclaim its solitude.

Source : http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/fmt-english/news/general/10544-ladang-gadong-retreats-to-solitude