Defiance and come-back are the high stakes tactics of the high rollers with the grit it takes (and deep pockets) to live above the law.

This, at least according those who would like to see themselves as ‘survivors’ for whom being caught and convicted is ‘definitely not the end of the world’ as Najib Razak smugly declared outside court this week.

Here are some of their other dictums. From Azmin Ali we learn politics is ‘not for cry babies‘.  After all he has fronted up the world’s most ‘incriminating’ and certainly most embarrassing video ever watched by the whole of Malaysia. He brazenly denied it was him and survived the affair in order to betray his allies and his constituents – and to hand the country back over to the cartel of crooks he was elected to sort out.

From Nooryana Najib (currently facing vast tax evasion charges herself) we are told the Najib family “are not quitters” and they will “win justice” despite the ruling of a judge they are brazenly disparaging as ‘dishonest’ or ‘honestly’ stupid. Indeed, listening to the comments of those around Najib it is clear his camp are confident that they can make the system work for them by stretching out appeals and leaning on judges to make sure he never spends a single night of punishment in jail.

In other words, these folk believe wealth and power are for the ‘brave and the bold’ like themselves, who are fearless of the law not mere servants of the people. They are only furious that after all their plotting to over-turn the inconvenient outcome of GE14, ‘PM8’ did not play his part by pressuring the ‘independent’ courts to ensure their man was let off from the get-go.

Never mind, once they have bribed over enough MPs and appointed their agents to all the key positions as before, they are clearly confident the country and its courts will eventually deliver the right results – just as in the good old days of old?

What these wealthy bullies are telling themselves, and indeed the world, is that it counts not one bit that they were voted out at the election and now face a slew of criminal charges based on stunning evidence. Such matters feature as mere setbacks to be overcome by ruthless big-time players such as themselves – an approach we have seen all too clearly in Sabah also over the past weeks and days.

Granted, the former Sabah chief minister, Musa Aman, took to his ‘seriously sick’ bed for a week or two after his disastrous ejection at GE14.  However, following the PN backdoor power grab (enabled by spineless frogs in next door Sarawak) he has sprung back to bouncing health working with his UMNO allies to offer enormous cash bribes to local defectors also. The tactic has worked for all to see in other mainland states.

Musa’s first triumph was to bulldoze the prosecution into dropping ALL of the slew of corruption and money laundering cases against him on spurious grounds, clearing the path for his glorious return to office despite that out and out rejection by voters in GE14.

And today he attempted to complete the local coup by announcing he now has the majority of state MPs (thanks to all those criminal handouts) and he drove determinedly up to the Governor’s palace to demand he be returned to office.

Meanwhile, it is not just the local crooks who reckon they can defy the odds and thumb their nose at the rule of law. What could be more sickening to Malaysians this week than the sight of the Goldman Sachs boss David Solomon celebrating back home in the luxurious Hamptons in America over the ridiculously small penalty that the new PN government has just agreed to settle for on behalf of Malaysia over 1MDB?

The pre-coup elected government had sued Goldman for $9.5 billion to recompense the hard hit country for the deliberate and criminal collusion by the bank in the thefts Najib was convicted of just this week. Originally, Goldman had $10 billion set aside in expectation of a rightful hammering in favour of Malaysia.

However, with effectively the very same bunch of Malaysian crooks now back in the driving seat behind PN, the bankers flew over to KL last week and achieved a give away settlement of a mere $2.5 billion – although they have kindly pretended that it was $3.9 billion to help spare PN’s shame at such a tragic cave in for the country.

For Malaysia’s coup politicians it represents an unexpected bonus all the same – a reward for their own earlier crimes and they aren’t complaining over money needed to help their antics.

So, the people of Malaysia have been treated to reports of CEO David Solomon, returning triumphantly to party at his home in the Hamptons, playing DJ to his neighbours as part of a ‘charity event’ in this richest corner of the world – raising money that OUGHT to have gone to the poor folk of Malaysia who have been robbed to make Goldman bankers even richer.

Goldman Sach’s next reported project is to turn the full burn of its power and money onto the US Department of Justice itself, which has demanded the bank admit its criminal role as part of any settlement back in its home jurisdiction.

The mega-bank is ready to pay a fine (after all it has plenty left over after cheating on the Malaysians) but it is reportedly determined to cancel out any talk of guilt, which is bad for future business and their hallowed reputation as the bank that can get away with anything unscathed. Talk is in Washington that the President’s AG has been persuaded (Goldman hired his law firm).

So, should seekers after justice therefore despair and resign their hopes to the afterlife?

Sarawak Report suggests to the contrary that these thoroughly exposed political criminals and shady bankers simply have not got used to the fact that the game is up. The more they have sought to get off the hook and reverse their deserved misfortunes the more blatant and unrepentant they have shown themselves to be – witness the shocking and brazen corruptions of the past few weeks.

They may tell themselves they are the same old emperors back in charge, but in fact to everybody else they are emperors who have lost their clothes. Sooner or later, society expects to see them punished.

Starting perhaps with Musa Aman, who in fact found the Governor’s gates slammed shut against him this morning as he charged to grab hold of the keys of office?  Instead, the state parliament has been dissolved and new elections will be held to let the people decide about those whom they elected to represent them but took cash to betray their trust.

Angry Najib and his arrogant followers have meanwhile themselves been threatening the beleaguered prime minister and his party with annihilation in a general election they think they can win without Bersatu. The threats have not been welcomed. Maybe the cookie will crumble differently to how UMNO groupies are expecting as PN rivalries explode?

And the United States seems pretty sick of Goldman Sachs and the ‘tame AG’ as well. It is in fact certain that at some point, justice will prevail over all of those who have been shown up for what they are – and it may be sooner than they think.