Arch thief Najib Razak launched what he calls the Invest Malaysia Programme 2017 with an address to potential investors. Realizing, perhaps, that he has a worldwide reputation as a mega thief, and worse, he was facing an uphill task in trying to convince anyone to invest such much as 1 cent in his thieves’ kitchen government. Which in any case shortly faces an election which unprejudiced observers see him losing dramatically.
Why then risk any money at all in investment in Malaysia? The siren call of yields higher than elsewhere cannot hope to overcome the evidence of criminality. Past investors in 1MDB bonds may hope that the Malaysian taxpayers will be forced to make good on interest and capital payments now that 1MDB itself is bankrupt. But future loans, such as Najib is begging for, will not be taken up. Once burned twice shy.
Attempts by mega thief Najib to accuse his predecessors of financial misconduct will impress no one. A man who has stolen billions of his country’s money for personal enrichment, as Najib has, cannot gain from a pot and kettle exercise. Investors can read. And all of them will have read the US DOJ’s damning expose of the 1MDB scams. None will wish to offer themselves up as a new set of victims of this inept, megalomaniac thief.
Among many of the ludicrous excuses offered by Najib was one to the effect that assets formerly owned by 1MDB are “thriving” Even if this were true, which it is not, why are others benefiting from the enormous losses falling on the taxpayer?. Najib did not attempt to explain that!
Admitting that there were “certain issues” at 1MDB he claimed that they had been “blown out of all proportion” by some politicians to try to force a premature election! Whether there will be any election at all, or just an open dictatorship, remains to be seen. But a premature one?! That could only happen in an open democratic society, which Malaysia no longer is. Instead it remains a kleptocracy headed by the biggest criminal in its, and possibly world, history.
No doubt the “investors” enjoyed whatever entertainment Najib provided for them. But it ends there.