Reports emerge about doubts and worries in Uganda arising from excessive borrowing from Beijing. If arch crook Najib sees these reports or if they are brought to his notice by responsible Malaysian civil servants he will no doubt ignore them.

After all Beijing provided the money which enabled him to pay off some of the 1MDB debts last year; money which he did not otherwise have or be in any way able to raise. Najib’s motives were obvious. Stay out of jail (for a while longer). Beijing’s were equally clear. Buy the government of Malaysia as part of a planned expansion, military and naval, into the Indian Ocean.

However Beijing are not stupid. No more payments until Najib has proved he can hold onto power for five more years. That would give time to make their hold on Malaysia irreversible.

In the event the decision to bail out Najib will prove to be a costly mistake and some Beijing heads will roll after GE14. Better that than Malaysia falling under CPG control