YOURSAY | ‘PM, if the Saudi king is so proud of M’sia, why don’t you ask him for another donation?’

PM: Would Saudi king visit M'sia if we are a failed state?

Clever Voter: The answer to the question ‘would the Saudi king visit Malaysia if we are a failed state’ is yes.

This is simply because birds of a feather flock together. Both Saudi Arabia and Malaysia are resource-cursed nations.

Having dug so much wealth from the ground, both suffer from the rich man syndrome. They have allowed their decadent lifestyle to ruin the potential of building strong and respectable nations.

Today the Saudis are digging deeper into their reserves to maintain a system where no one pays income tax, and everything else is more or less free. Malaysians are no better. Aside from numerous taxes, every other month something goes up or get stolen.

We should not be raving as if we have a godfather giving us free lunches. We should lower our expectations that whatever discussed, promised, or even signed may not materialise. Haven’t we learned this lesson before?

Gerard Lourdesamy: The statement by PM Najib Razak makes no sense because both are failed states.

Saudi Arabia exists at the mercy of the US while Malaysia's survival now depends on China. Both countries are far from being democratic and pay scant regard to human rights, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law.

Corruption and abuses of power are endemic in both. Their brand of moderate Islam is also in doubt because both countries practice fundamentalist, conservative and orthodox Islam in the Wahabbi tradition that is exclusionary by definition.

Economically both are weak and desperate for foreign investments and new markets. So, there is nothing to gloat about here.

Analliar: Firstly, King Salman Abdulaziz Al Saud would visit anyone to save his country’s economy.

Secondly, Malaysia was not so important to him as he also visited Indonesia with a much bigger entourage.

Thirdly, he should know Najib’s credibility is zero and just a whisper of the ‘donation’ - if he had given it - would have exonerated MO1. Besides it's proven in a Singapore court that the money did not come from the Saudis.

YHJ: Malaysia is not a failed state yet. But it looks like it’s heading in that direction.

The Saudis are here to boost their initial public offering (IPO) launching of Aramco (Saudi Arabian Oil Company), and thus they need to be seen making numerous investments in this region.

Raja Chulan: One is a ‘despotic ruler’, the other a ‘kleptocrat PM’. It is called a meeting of minds.

Of all the countries in the world, why would Malaysia want to follow the footsteps of Saudi Arabia and the House of Saud?

RM2.6 Billion Turkey Haram: Najib, if one falls sick and the Agong visited him, does it imply that the former is well and good?

In fact, the Saudi king did not confirm that he donated the huge sum of money to you during his four-day visit.

He would have done you a great favour if he had just made a single statement confirming the donation. But it was not to be.

It is a shame that you did not seize the opportunity to ask him to announce on TV about his so-called donation.

Anonymous #37634848: King Salman is visiting Asean countries to look for foreign investments in his country. He is trying to reform and improve the lot of his people.

Under his predecessor, much wealth was allegedly squandered, especially by the House of Saud royalty.

This king has removed all the deadwood and appointed young but highly educated and capable administrators.

We are just the opposite. We still have the deadwood, especially those in the cabinet. We are world famous as ‘kleptocrats’. Najib, if the Saudi king is so proud of Malaysia, why don’t you ask him for another donation?

The ‘King and I’ should together explain the ‘681 American pies’.

Anonymous 2436471476414726: We are all aware of the underlying reasons for the Saudi king’s visit. He is on a tour of countries in the Asean region and not just Malaysia.

As for participation in the Rapid project, the kingdom may find it cheap to invest in Malaysia, what with the high exchange rate of US dollar and Saudi riyal to the ringgit.

SusahKes: Well, we just had a North Korean murder mystery right smack in our own turf, if only to add to our enviable-but-exotic list comprising of Mongolian, custodial, mafia-hitman and oil drum styles of sending people to the hereafter.

Plus, we have a North Korean spy agency operating at Lebuh Ampang. And of course, if there is one country that is the epitome of what we define as a failed state, then North Korea must be it. I'm glad our addiction to K-Pop and K-dramas and surgically altered nose-jobs comes from the South instead.

Golly gee, Mr MO1, why are we then concerned about which dignitary comes a-visiting to our shores? It can't get lower than North Korea.

Anonymous_1417051064: Since when is the Saudi king the standard bearer to determine whether a country is a failed state?

Who else is coming tomorrow? Robert Mugabe? Why not call your “good friend” Donald Trump to come to Malaysia too?

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