This ought to have been an excruciatingly embarrassing time for Najib Razak, Malaysia’s scandal-engulfed prime minister, to meet the leaders of the free and not-quite-so free world. The development fund he helped set up, 1Malaysia Development Berhad, is linked with multiple international probes into suspicious transactions. Weighed down by $11bn in debt, it is fighting to stay afloat. Instead, Mr Najib, fresh from the glow of finding $700m from an unnamed Middle Eastern donor in his personal bank account, appeared to relish the chance of hosting the US president and Chinese premier, both of whom were in Kuala Lumpur last week to attend regional gatherings.
對馬來西亞醜聞纏身的總理納吉布•拉扎克(Najib Razak)來說，會見自由和不那麼自由的世界的領導人，本應是個尷尬至極的時刻。納吉布幫助設立的發展基金「1MDB”(1Malaysia Development Berhad)捲入了國際上多起可疑交易調查。這個揹負著110億美元債務的基金正盡力渡過難關。然而，儘管他的個人銀行戶頭剛剛被發現來自中東匿名捐贈人的7億美元，納吉布卻似乎十分享受接待美國總統和中國總理的機會——上週，美國總統巴拉克•歐巴馬(Barack Obama)和中國總理李克強都在吉隆坡，參加區域性會議。