Rule of the elite vs rule of the majority: Can Mukhriz "my father's son" tell the difference

There is no such thing as an ideal democracy, although many - even Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak - aspires for a “world-class democracy”. Firstly, there is certainly debate as to whose benchmark should one follow.

The American model is normally seen as a template for what a modern democracy should be like, yet it does not take into account allocations for monarchies that reside within the said state. The British model for government is the one Malaysia takes after, where the Monarchy plays a rather ceremonious role, rather than governmental.

Essence of democracy

The fundamentals of democracy manifest themselves in the process thatsignifies it. Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal (and more or less direct) participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law.

Aristotle’s comment on Democracy is telling: “Now a fundamental principle of the democratic form of constitution is liberty—that is what is usually asserted, implying that only under this constitution do men participate in liberty, for they assert this as the aim of every democracy. But one factor of liberty is to govern and be governed in turn; for the popular principle of justice is to have equality according to number, not worth, and if this is the principle of justice prevailing, the multitude must of necessity be sovereign and the decision of the majority must be final and must constitute justice, for they say that each of the citizens ought to have an equal share; so that it results that in democracies the poor are more powerful than the rich, because there are more of them and whatever is decided by the majority is sovereign. This then is one mark of liberty which all democrats set down as a principle of the constitution. And one is for a man to live as he likes; for they say that this is the function of liberty, inasmuch as to live not as one likes is the life of a man that is a slave. This is the second principle of democracy, and from it has come the claim not to be governed, preferably not by anybody, or failing that, to govern and be governed in turns; and this is the way in which the second principle contributes to egalitarian liberty.”

Rule of the elite when it should be rule of the majority

If rule of majority is in place, as often mentioned by those in Barisan Nasional, then the poor in Malaysia will have a bigger say than those who are rich. Thus, it is right that the government looks into the welfare of the poor and to explain to the poor the abuse of public funds that is so rampant in Malaysia.

But this is not the case in reality. And will never be the case as long as UMNO pulls the strings in BN. The reason is because UMNO practices an oligarchy form of government which is nothing near democracy.

This is evident in the statement by deputy Trade minister Mukhriz Mahathir, the son of Mahathir Mohamad, who recently asserted that all UMNO members should be made to sign a letter swearing that they will remain loyal to the party and work hard to ensure its candidates win in the next general election.

Mukhriz, also the Kedah UMNO deputy liaision committee chairman, said he was proposing the idea following the loyalty oath by delegates at Umno's annual assembly.

“Making the oath verbally is not enough. We need to put it on paper so that it will be legally binding. Action can be taken against them if they break the oath. “The letter will ensure that there's no backstabbing or sabotage of party candidates,” Mukhriz had expounded to the press.

You just can't force people

Now, forcing party members to do something to ensure political survival is oligarchy. Oligarchy is a form of power structure in which power effectively rests with an elite class distinguished by royalty, wealth, family ties, commercial, and/or military legitimacy. Throughout history, most oligarchies have been tyrannical, relying on public servitude to exist.

Having a party member sign a legally binding document contravenes the right of the individual to choose based on their conscience the political party that best serves their interests.

The assertion that having party members be legally wrong for acting against the wises of the party is absurd and goes against the very idea of democracy and the Federal Constitution of Malaysia . Under Article 5 (1), it is stated 'No person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty save in accordance with law'.

My father's son

What wrong has an UMNO member done if he or she feels that they should not support the stand of the party? By allowing room for a different point of view, yes - even dissension, it is not like giving members room to leave, revolt or act against party. UMNO leaders should have more confidence in their members.

This is something that Mukhriz has failed to understand. The youngest son of former UMNO strongman Mahathir Mohamad, who was regarded as despot by many quarters for his ham fisted rule, Mukhriz said in a recent and rare interview that he was not bothered about being compared to his much reviled dad. Instead, he considered it an honour to be "my father's son".

"I am proud of my fathers' achievements. It's not for me to deny all that he has done. And I won't say that I want to get out of my father's shadow. After all, my name carries the bin (son of) Mahathir...this I cannot change. I'm not bothered if people want to link me with him. It's a positive link. But if people want to compare me with him, it's a long shot. I'm still very new compared to my father," Mukhriz told Bernama.

Following blindly, failing to understand the basics

Now while filial love is to be respected, admired even, to follow blindly is not. At 46, Mukhriz should be young enough to be cognizant of how the world is developing. If he were to deny the growth of Gen Y, and their progressive values, then he is just politicizing in the same mold as his dad.

Whether that means Mukhriz will become a successful and inspiring leader or a feared and corrupt despot is something for his countrymen to decide, but from his recent comments, one has certainly obtained a glimpse of which side he will likely end up on.

One of the most fundamental base of democracy is the liberty of the person, yet this is not what is being practiced within UMNO nor within the governmental structure of Malaysia. It is time that citizens of Malaysia turn the existing and decadent system upside down and practice true democracy - one great factor of liberty is to govern and be governed in turn.

Mahathir never understood it. Neither did UMNO and it looks like Mukhriz won't either.

Malaysia Chronicle