The city of New York recently hosted the spectacles of both our Financial Secretary Donald Tsang Yam-kuen and Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad asking for understanding of their economies from big investors.
But while Mr Tsang invariably stresses the free market nature of our economy on such occasions, Dr Mahathir proudly and defiantly proclaimed that his will continue going the other way with its clamps on capital flows.
And, he crowed, as one in the eye to big American speculators, there is now proof that these strictures were the right prescription, contrary to what New Yorkers may have told him.
Malaysian economic growth topped 4 per cent in the second quarter with an even better result expected in the third, while the country's trade surplus so far this year has amounted to an astounding 25 per cent of gross domestic product.
Things are definitely up and it certainly looks like a victory for the decision in September last year to freeze the currency at M$3.80 (about HK$7.76) to the US dollar and boot out speculators.
But look a little deeper into the figures and it just comes out as another case of party now, pay later.