You know how it goes lah. Another sunny day at Bondi, tourist photos snapping away, kids kicking beach balls. Then suddenly, rhythm of life broken by staccato gunfire during Hanukkah celebrations. Now, with funerals underway and bodies still in hospital beds, New South Wales politicians are rushing through emergency firearm laws.

Premier Chris Minns announcing parliament's emergency session next week feels like political whiplash. Caps on firearm ownership per person, tighter rules on shotguns, maybe even protest restrictions after terror attacks. All good ideas, but why only after six dead? Cannot mah.

Australia used to be textbook model for gun control after Port Arthur 1996. John Howard made sure Western world took notes. But paperwork expires, political will fades. Now revelation the two attackers legally owned multiple high powered firearms would be funny if not so tragic. One of them even had Islamist extremist investigation in his file while buying guns. Counterterrorism kabuki theatre at its finest.

Rabbi Eli Schlanger's funeral today reminds us what this cost. Five kids lost their father whose Chabad outreach took him housing estates and prisons. Then Holocaust survivor among dead? Aiyah. Every time I see PM Albanese promising to eradicate anti-Semitism now, I wonder where this energy was before broken glass littered Bondi Beach.

Human stories here both break and mend the heart. Take Ahmed al Ahmed, Syrian migrant wrestling an assault rifle away from shooter before taking bullets himself. Heroism that makes you believe in our shared humanity. Then young police recruit Jack Hibbert facing blindness in one eye after four months on force. His parents statement thanking public for support while describing nightmares. These stories better stay fresh in politicians minds when drafting laws.

We Southeast Asians know this dance too well. Malaysia tightened firearms after Pulau Pinang shootouts. Indonesia understands how Islamic extremism leaks across borders. Singapore? Aunties here laugh if you ask about gun shops, our registries tighter than Cold Storage cheese packets. Australia used to be regional role model, now looking more like American cousin with political will issues.

Albanese government scrambling because intelligence agencies missed insurgent travel to Mindanaobefore Bondi or that terrorism investigation on shooter. Same old pattern. Unless government starts connecting dots between overseas travel, weapon registry, and hate rhetoric mosques, next attack just timing question lah.

Bright spot here. Community response shows Australian spirit remains alive. Muslims donating to Jewish victim funds, surf lifesavers standing guard at vigils. Even President Trump sent nice message about fighting anti-Semitism. All important when parliament debates firearm laws Christmas week.

Minns calling for summer of togetherness not division. Noble goal. Albo visiting hospitals to check on survivors. But public always smarter than politicians give credit. They know laws drafted in panic invite future loopholes.

Three questions linger after funerals end. One, if attacker was briefly terror flagged, how come firearms license remained active? Two, why wait 30 years since last massacre before reviewing registries? Last, can Australia recapture that Howard era determination before November's ASEAN summit where safety sells tourism.

Answer any less resounding than yes, we better pray political classes across region taking notes. Because if Bondi golden sands become backdrop to American style politics as usual, we've all lost more than six beautiful souls. We will have surrendered shared safety for partisan squabbles.