Malaysian Minister Paul Low is reported as stating that the public should not be the judge of kleptocracy! On the face of it this must be the silliest public pronouncement of the year, even by UMNO standards. Since he is a Minister and drawing the salary of one he must surely know that he is, at least in theory, living in a democracy. And democracies give the people, all of them, the right to choose their representatives, and to criticise them when they act wrongly or stupidly.

So why is Low complaining? He did not trouble to state who, if not the voters, should be allowed to criticise kleptocracy. No one maybe; in Low’s ideal world! How happy that would make Najib and his fellow thieves in UMNO. Steal away and not only be exempt from prosecution with the help of crooked prosecutors and police officers but also be exempt from all criticism for doing so!

Unhappily for Low not only will he soon lose his undeserved exalted seat as a Minister but worse may be in store when the post UMNO, post Najib, prosecutors go into all that has happened in Malaysia since 2009. He will have to exchange the plush Ministerial chair for a stool in Sg. Buloh. Then he will be able to ask Najib why they are both there, and for a very long stay.

The lesson that Low teaches, however unwittingly, is that the Malaysia of today is not a democracy at all but a real kleptocracy of exactly the kind he wants to be free of criticism. At least he may be happy that his boss, arch thief Najib, is presently in China seeking help to get out of his crime caused troubles. Whatever China may be no one can accuse it of being a democracy or of allowing free speech. Low would clearly feel at home there and should make a permanent move there as soon as possible.