Yesterday, my minister of finance taught me a few lessons in Bolehland economics with regards to prudent spending on luxury items like an Airbus private airliner.

First, if I cannot afford a Ferrari, I should just lease it instead of buying. The monthly payments are much less than the purchase price so (suddenly) I will be able to afford it.

Second, If I don't want to be seen spending money that goes outside the family circle, I should just lease it from my brother. The fact that my brother had bought it from someone outside the family, and also the fact that he used the family's children education trust fund, is irrelevant. What the children don't know won't hurt them!

Third, justify it by conceding that the Ferrari will also be used to ferry grandpa around instead of just for your frivolous gallivanting. It does not matter if grandpa rarely travels outside the neighbourhood, and that he would be too timid to demand its use over your international travels propagating Islam Hadhari for the world.

If Dr Mahathir Mohamad was that finance minister, I would have concluded that he was an evil genius. But that coming from Pak Lah, I shall presume that he means well (as always) and was just parroting what the crony commissioned agent said when convincing Pak Lah to conclude the sale. Ooops, the lease, I mean.

Well done, Professor Pak Lah! You are a smart and perceptive manager of public funds.

I will now check out if the finance ministers of other Asian economies like Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore have stumbled onto your secret recipe. I guess if they have not leased private jets, it's probably because they are either not smart enough or maybe because their economies have not performed as well as ours.

Or simply because they don't have a King for an excuse, don't you think?