Mahathir and the myth of power

I have always wanted to understand why politicians are so hungry for power. Why are they comfortable in suspending moral principles in their singular journey of amassing more influence and control?

Why do the politicians allow power to corrupt their judgments and make choices that are selfish, arrogant, and petty? Why, in their journey to power, do they always turn out a different person than they were when they first joined politics?

Do people pursue power because of an innate pathological need for affirmation, or do they evolve into a monster beyond recognition because the path to power was corrupting?

I found some guidance in the Greek myths that are 3,000 years old. The Greeks always had a darker view of humanity. Unlike other mythologies that glorify ambitions and achievements, the Greeks were more sceptical of power – they believed it had the potential to rob the conscience of good people and widen the ambit of evil people.

The Odyssey is a fable about power

The Odyssey was an epic poem that studies the psychology of heroes. The Greeks never viewed “heroes” as benevolent and effective leaders; heroes were just people with abilities to achieve great things, but they are often flawed with brutal and horrible legacies.

In contrast to its prequel, Iliad, that was a linear narrative of wartime victory, The Odyssey was a story about what happens to the ambitious person after the dust has settled.

Can a person who was revered and feared by everyone in the country retreat to the quiet of his home and live a normal life again?

The simple answer is no.

The main character, Odysseus, was a highly intelligent but cunning man. The Greeks used the word “metis”, meaning skilful and incredibly sly, to describe him. Odysseus would not hesitate to use his tongue to lie and deceive so that every living being, God and mortals, bow one by one to his command.

Eventually, Odysseus became the “best of Greeks”, the chief architect behind the fall of Troy in the epic battle; the first to build a Trojan Horse that cracked the walls of the city. The armour of the legend Achilles was bestowed upon Odysseus, as the highest acknowledgement of his talents and the relentless pursuit of glory (“kléos”).

A striving person cannot stop striving

After the perilous and bloody battle has ended, he decided to go home to Ithaca. But when he has reached the doorways, he became a “different person” that was unrecognisable even to the people closest to him.

He became wicked and barbaric, killing every man he disliked and then their families. He could not sit idly at home, like his wife and children. Nothing could bring him comfort and fulfilment – he must go out and hunt for higher glory.

Towards the end of the epic, Odysseus said that his homecoming to Ithaca only made him succumb to boredom and listlessness. He must go out, no matter how dangerous and cause suffering – he must go and ride the waves again.

This is the sobering tragedy of one of the best Greek mythologies. It tells us that the pursuit of power has the dangerous tendency of corrupting a good person. It makes him eternally dissatisfied and discontent – no achievement is large enough to fill up the abyss of his heart because he has become a person who could never stop pursuing power.

Shakespeare’s King Lear

Shakespeare was similarly interested in this subject. He was curious as to whether a person could be both a good person and a good leader at the same time, or whether every good person will eventually be corrupted by power.

In his seminal work King Lear, he shows us how the King, who has been treated as an infallible Greek God with unceasing worship and praises, had a complete meltdown when one person disagreed with him. He could no longer connect with the values of humanity and humility because no one has ever said he was wrong.

This is not just fiction; it is a proven psychological phenomenon. A person who has attained power, especially after an arduous and trying road, would have an increasing inability to empathise with the people. They would start to believe that they got to the top by their own will, and others did not because they are weak and unworthy; thus his heavy-handedness is justified.

Reading Greek mythology reminds me of Malaysian politics.

Power-hungry politicians existed 3,000 years ago, and they will continue to live, in Malaysia as well. Its most aggressive pursuer is Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the man who has occupied the highest position for the longest period and still never has enough. His political comeback history is illustrious, and all events now indicate that he has not given up on his return.

The inevitable comeback of Mahathir

Mahathir is still Bersatu’s chairperson, he is still a member of parliament, he has rejected all attempts by the prime minister to reconcile. Since he was ousted, he has publicly criticised the government and its personalities for their shortcomings, like he always had for Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Najib Abdul Razak when he was hungry for a renewal.

This time, he will do something that has never been done in the history of Malaysia. When the Parliament session opens on May 18, 2020, he will sit in the Opposition bench. This will be the first time that a political party is split in the august House, and the first time the government party’s highest leader is publicly, directly and physically separated from the prime minister.

Mahathir understands that this political crisis shall not overtake the public health crisis, lest the people fume in outrage and disgust.

But we also know that Mahathir will not sit idly when Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin (photo, above) steals the show.

Spending a quarter of a lifetime at the highest position, with direct command and little opposition, Mahathir is used to striving, achieving, and winning. He knows of no other reality. Old age and a failing memory will not compel him to a quiet life with his grandchildren.

Come May 18, he will go out to ride the waves again.

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JAMES CHAI is a legal consultant and researcher working for Invoke, among others. You may reach him at jameschai.mpuk@gmail.com. - Mkini