Only a week or two ago Thief in Chief Najib was in Beijing posturing about a loan which, he claimed, would enable Malaysia to build an East Coast railway line. He failed to add that the loan so kindly to be granted by the CPG was for more than twice the highest projected cost of that line. He was equally silent about his intention to use that surplus loan money to cover up his massive thefts from 1MDB. Finally he thought, but again did not say, that by the time the railway was not built he could buy another general election, set his dictatorship in stone and stay as boss for life.

Great stuff. Diamonds galore for Rosmah. Cocktail parties on Chinese warships in Penang harbour. Sucks to all those sniffy western powers who had dared to publish his mega crimes. And the ordinary people of Malaysia? Well they would learn to eat canned Chinese food.

Did they forget to tell you Najis? Their loans come in the shape of foodstuffs and other such which the loan recipient country is expected to sell and use the proceeds to lay the railway! This tactic failed in the case of an international airport to be built in Mauritius but it remains a favoured one in Beijing.

Just in case the CPG failed to tell Najis all this they sent him a message in another way today. Cash is tight and belts have to be tightened too. Especially in the case of loans outside China which, in the past, have been dollar convertible. Tap off we fear, dear Najis, but our tinned pork is very tasty.

We await KL’s public reaction. It is likely to be much delayed