COMMENT | Hoisted by one's own petard

COMMENT | Before he was sentenced on a corruption charge in September 2015, former Selangor menteri besar Mohd Khir Toyo, in his mitigation, told the Federal Court of his contributions to the state.

Malaysiakini quoted him as saying that he had developed the state to international standard, which had been recognised by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), where in his eight years as MB he had pulled in annual investments of RM13.8 billion in 2008 alone, compared to RM6 billion in 2000.

This was what he told the court: “Saya telah berjaya membangunkan Selangor menjadi negeri maju dengan international standard. Di mana negeri maju itu telah disah dan dibuat kajian oleh IMF, International Management of Sweden (sic) recognised Selangor maju dan IMF telah keluarkan buku yang menjadi panduan untuk pelabur-pelabur.”

(I have succeeded in developing Selangor into a successful state on par with international standards. It was confirmed and researched by the IMF, the International Management of Sweden [sic] recognised Selangor as developed and IMF released a book as a guide to investors.)

Having found him guilty...