Usually Malaysian press statements are issued under the name of one of Najib’s crony ministers, although they are normally written by an expatriate hireling called Paul Stadlen, as has been the case with a statement issued in the name of Rahman Dahlan following the Sarawak election.

As usual he has missed the point. The election was rigged by unprecedented bribery and cheating, to pretend that Najib is popular,honest and the preferred choice of the Sarawak electorate. Even by the standards set by master crook and former Chief Minister Taib Mahmud this election was marked by excess of every sort. Tens of millions of ringgit were handed out to voters to get them to vote BN. Helicopters darkened the skies in such numbers that an accident was inevitable. Indeed, sadly, one of them crashed killing the occupants which meant, among other things, that two federal by elections will have to be held.

That may be a bigger obstacle for Najib as he will not be able to use in West Malaysia the criminal tactics employed to rig the Sarawak result and Paul, if he can take time off from prancing semi naked in KL night spots, will find selling BN there a much harder task.

Why, it may be asked, does Najib have to have a foreigner as his PR chief and head barker? Are there no Malaysians capable of acting, or willing to act, as Najib’s literary lickspittle? Or is this another manifestation of “patrician” contempt for the sons of the soil on the part of English educated Najib? Well no matter. Malaysians are well aware of who and what Stadien is and at least his public stupidity affords them a free laugh. As to the future, and this is very near, even if Paul leaves Malaysia in time to avoid prosecution he will never get another job in PR or journalism. So he has to hope that the crumbs of billionaire’s shortcake, which he has collected from Najib’s table will keep him for the rest of his life.