On Anthony Loke’s first day of work as transport minister in May 2018, all the staff lined up to welcome him. But he told them that such protocol was an “unhealthy culture” and a “complete waste of time” when they should instead be focusing on their work.
This ampu bodek (fawning and flattering) culture to massage the egos of leaders has, I believe, led to the disastrous handling of the twin Covid-economic crisis.
This feudal culture declares: we know best, we don’t want to consult others, we won’t share data on Covid because we don’t need any advice. We, your ever Wise Leaders, shall decide everything. Just listen to us at our pompous press briefings.
Perhaps this is why the prime minister described himself as ‘abah’ or father. It reflects a paternalistic attitude which proclaims: we, and we alone, shall save you, and you “children” shall honour (and vote for) us. You must obey us (even if we wear ridiculous shirts that look like colourful kuih), or we shall rotan (whack) you with RM10,000 fines.
This is our F-word, our modern form of feudalism. The original one was a social system in Europe about 1,000 years ago when peasants were forced to pay homage and surrender part of their harvest to fatten the lazy lords who had total power over them. When the demands could no longer be tolerated, rebellions (like that of Robin Hood) broke out.
Today, hardworking folks in Malaysia still have to fatten certain people. This is because our system is full of modern lords who can control who will get contracts, licences, privatisation deals and share allocations, as admitted by Nazir Razak, the smarter brother of Najib.
Arrogance and adulation
Our country is obsessed not with “know how” but with “know who” because our 21st century feudal pembesar (noblemen) can hand out goodies not on merit or need, but to those who kowtow to them through the right “cables”.
Naturally, their heads swell with smugness with all this adulation, even if they do their jobs poorly. Before the pandemic, their police outriders swept away all pesky cars of the rakyat so as not to impede their imperial cruise through our traffic-clogged roads.
During the pandemic, they not only broke SOPs but also boasted about it on their own social media. This is why it’s called dua darjat - the laws for common folks do not apply to the lords. So it’s a joke to think that our ministers are supposed to be “servants of the people”.
When people raised white flags in desperation, pompous leaders, such as the PAS Kedah menteri besar, dismissed them as political pawns. How dare these lowly folks make us, the great government, look as if we have failed in our jobs? If you are starving, you are allowed to ask for food only through our “official channels”, never mind if they are slow as slugs. You are not allowed to embarrass us, faham (understand)?
But how could a leader from a “religious” party be so unkind and uncaring? Well, just as the dukes, earls and barons of Europe were supported by the church, so our neo-feudal pembesar are supported by “pious” people such as Nik Abduh Nik Abdul Aziz, who told people not to fly white flags but just to pray.
Former Health director-general Dr Mohamed Ismail Merican recently summed up our leaders’ autocratic attitudes in dealing with the Covid crisis.
“Basically, they don't want to admit weaknesses and failures of the system. They didn't ask for help from others,” he said. “Many local experts have been sidelined. Those who give alternative views are branded as detractors who are disloyal to the government.”
Yes, let me repeat that - disloyal. What our F-word lords want is total obedience, a “yes Datuk” culture.
Way back in April last year, former deputy defence minister Liew Chin Tong pointed out that the government “doesn’t know everything” and that the war against Covid needed a “whole of society” approach, with participation from industry, community and even opposition leaders. But the ruling bigshots decided that they alone know best.
Dr Ismail added that this top-down “just do as I say, don’t do as I do” approach means that decisions are not explained properly and the community doesn’t feel empowered to be part of the Covid battle. And so, people try to escape the “alien” rules imposed from “up above”. Maybe that’s why 200,000 people decided to cheat the system and balik kampung for Hari Raya.
Mega mentality
The feudal attitude of our political noblemen may also explain why we have mega vaccination centres. Who cares if they can become mega clusters, as has already happened in Shah Alam?
Why not use the country’s 9,000 clinics (both government and private) to reach folks in rural areas? Or do vaccinations in all the empty schools and balai raya (public halls) found in many kampungs?
But how can those with a mega mentality go down to the humble grassroots to bring vaccines? No, the people must be forced to make a pilgrimage (sometimes over long distances) to receive their blessings.
Besides, why should the government be “so stupid” to use government facilities for free? When a whopping RM333 million has already been budgeted for “rentals and utilities” of the mega centres (as Khairy Jamaluddin himself admitted)? Hmmm… I wonder who benefits from this? And the rest of the RM5 billion budget for the national vaccine programme?
Various experts have given tons of advice. For example, early this year, 46 senior doctors gave various suggestions, including mass use of cheap antigen test kits for contact tracing (which is such a mess now). Former Miti deputy minister Ong Kian Ming has offered many methods to protect jobs, including hiring jobless IT-savvy youths to help food hawkers boost their business. The Malaysian Medical Association has spoken up repeatedly.
The information is all out there. But are the exalted masters of the manor humble enough to learn? Or do they prefer to be bodoh sombong (stupid yet haughty)?
Heck, even when the Agong himself asked that Parliament be reconvened “as soon as possible” to debate the National Recovery Plan, our feudal politicians have come up with all kinds of tactics to delay, deflect or distort that royal wish. Do they believe that they can defy even the king?
Even kopitiam uncles and pakcik warung can explain why blanket lockdowns are dumb - they destroy the livelihoods of the whole district while the factory clusters are just in one or two corners. But our ignoble noblemen “know better”, so they keep repeating their failed strategies.
Einstein said, “insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”. But who dares tell the emperor that he’s not wearing clothes? Those who bravely speak truth to power, like the woman who revealed that the Kedah MB broke SOPs by doing a test drive, are made to pay a heavy price.
The idolising of arrogant and incompetent (or corrupt) leaders has long plagued Malaysia. When times were good, its weaknesses were not so apparent. But during this crisis, our political feudalism has led us to the brink of disaster.
That, my friends, is our F-word that’s really obscene. - Mkini
ANDREW SIA is a veteran journalist who likes teh tarik khau kurang manis. You are welcome to give him ideas to brew at tehtarik@gmail.com.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.
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