Autocracy under democratic mask
Najib steps forward in tightening autocracy in Malaysia.
M A Hossain
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has set the next polls date on a weekday, which former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad is seeing as a foul bid of a corruption-plagued Razak of further renewing his autocratic rule. Mahathir (92) who was Malaysian premier for over two decades is seen as the potential next Prime Minister of Malaysia. But Najib and his Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition are applying all possible tricks in keeping Mahathir out of power by hook or by crook.
Razak’s BN coalition, which has been in power for six decades, has seen his popularity wane in recent years, a slide further compounded by a multi-billion dollar scandal surrounding state fund 1MDB.
It is said in a proverb – absolute power corrupts absolutely. And it is once again proved in the Malaysian case. A party that remains in power for six decades? Is that democracy? Or ruthless autocracy under the mask of democracy?
In my personal opinion, democracy is losing steam in every country in the world. Be it Malaysia, or United Kingdom or even the United States of America. In the US what is going on in the name of democracy is nothing but a cheap comedy show. How many of the top aids of Donald Trump resigned during the past one and half years? If we carefully look into the list, possibly there will be no room for argument in saying none of the top figures in the Trump administration have real confidence on the Playboy President. If this is the face of so-called democracy in the US, the entire world needs to feel terribly disturbed and concerned. Because the United States is holding the largest cache of nuclear weapons. If such tremendous stock of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) goes into the hands of a whimsical figure like Donald Trump, who knows when this man would push the large button of nuclear boom instead of Twitter? Doesn’t a nuclear United States now appear to be much more volatile than any other nation including DPRK?
President Trump is terribly worried about DPRK having nuclear bombs. But who is going to tell this mightiest leader in the world – the world is actually almost hostage to the grips of a nuclear USA where they have foul leaders like Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton etc?
Now the main question – which philosophies should the world need to applaud? Democracy, dictatorship or people’s autocracy? Or even the so-called formula of replacing democracy with development? Actually, any formula under the democratic garb is simply unworkable. Those who are trying to convince the world, pretending themselves as democratic – progress is priority rather than democracy, rule of law, freedom of press or even human rights, are actually trying to mislead everyone. When any one pretending to be democratic tries to spray the opium of development on their nation, they actually forget a plain fact – any opium of development by a regime lacking good governance would actually emerge as lethal poison.
Of late, we are witnessing many ‘democratic’ governments opting the pretension of development in order to legitimize their brutal autocracy under the cover of democracy. In some countries, policy makers are even replacing democracy with ultra nationalist religious extremism. In those countries where religious extremism is on the rise, senseless radicals are finding excellent opportunity in spreading the venom of religious hatred under state patriotism. Let it be the ‘mad cow phobia’ in India or ‘Golen phobia’ in Turkey.
None of the formulas or policies created or invented by human beings are perfect. Neither communism, nor socialism or even democracy. Where Carl Marks finds grounds, Abraham Lincoln simply gets drowned. Where Abraham Lincoln finds support, Lenin turns bankrupt. The world is actually experimenting on these philosophies, or ideologies or formulas until something absolutely perfect emerges in front of all of us.
In my opinion, Malaysia already is heading towards a totally unknown fate. It is unclear as to when this country may get relieved of the decades-old autocracy of Barisan Nasional. Possibly in the past six plus decades Malaysians could not produce a better leader than a dictator like Mahathir Mohamad or corruption-plagued autocrat like Najib Razak. If this uncertainty will continue further, Malaysia ultimately will turn into a rogue state.
M A Hossain, a political and defence analyst writes on diversified topics in Bangladeshi and foreign newspapers. He has served in the United Nations. His articles are already featured in prominent newspapers like, the Modern Ghana, The Financial Express, The New Nation, The Daily Star,Weekly Blitz etc. He can be contacted at: writemah71@gmail.com
