Scouting for compelling stories in Penang in 1976, I came across a disused mining pool in Teluk Bahang. My intuition told me the place had been excavated for sand used for construction. The pool had no protective fencing.

I contacted the developer that owned the site - which I said posed a drowning hazard to children - took a few photos, talked to nearby villagers. My story, framed to show the company’s disregard for safety laws, was not used because the developer was a major advertiser, and a ‘friend’ of one of the editors.