Nothing is true, everything is permitted is an oath stated by Ezio Auditore da Firenze in a world renowned game, Assassins Creed. It reflects the realism imposed by Niccolo Machavelli in his book, The Prince on the Art of Power.
In a world where all latency of underhanded means reigns, democracy has long been threatened. In Malaysia, not only journalists and news media alone, even politicians have become sacrificial pawns for others to reach their primary objective: to be a Prime Minister. But the question to ponder is, by putting the society on the lifeline, is the battle to the apex throne of democracy worth it? Perhaps, the tragedy of Macbeth by Shakespeare is worth revisiting.
Malaysia Democracy and Power
Democracy has long been established and discoursed during the era of Plato and Socrates. Moving along the time of Greek, it has long flourished in the era of colonization until the Atlantic Charter was signed in 1941. The quote “by the people, for the people to the people” is synonymous to the democracy process around the globe, including Malaysia. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the opposite happened in Malaysia where some Ministers took the opportunity for granted through parading their selfish attitudes by posting their charades of tour at social media under work affairs when the people in Malaysia were suffering.
Malaysia Politics Compared with William Shakespeare’s Macbeth
To quote “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely” by Lord Acton, our Malaysian society is not a Shakespheare’s tragedy of Macbeth. To become powerful, is to become corrupt and The tragedy of Macbeth is a prime example. In William Shakespeare’s tragic tale, a young nobleman soon becomes corrupt when he is given the opportunity to become king. His need for power and safety drives him to corruption, ultimately killing off anyone who stands in his path: innocent or not.
But, our country will be facing a farce of tragedy just like Macbeth if the bureaucracy of the country’s administration is greedy in holding power and misappropriating national funds that should be used for national development. It is better for those ministers or even business moguls to control their temptation during this COVID-19. They did not only make the people of the country triggered with their selfish act, they were simply mocking the poor that have to pay hefty compounds for breaking the rule of law.
In my absolute best opinion, it is advisable to separate commitment and pleasure. By examining the effect that power can have on relationships. Example in The Tragedy of Macbeth, it is clear that Banquo and Macbeth’s relationship represent best what the impact of power on friendship can be like. This ultimately illustrates that the need for power can drive people to take extreme measures in capturing that power. Work is about dedication and commitment upon the task given be it from your boss or other ex-officios. And it cannot be used as an act of leniency to violate existing SOPs at the time the COVID-19 pandemic struck.
Backdoor Government: Power is Not Earned, but Taken
The Perikatan Nasional government (PN) established after the Sheraton move on February 21, 2020 shows that the voice of the people is increasingly buried due to the establishment of the back door government. To be honest, this backdoor government is not democratic, in fact it is more of a dictatorship similar to Macbeth in the tragedy of Macbeth and Julius Caesar than the Roman empire. This shows that power is not earned, but taken.
Politicians and the Elites in Malaysia: Above the Law
This is because the nature of democracy is increasingly eroded among the country’s leaders. After the Sheraton on 21 February 2020, Malaysia is facing various political, socio-economic and law enforcement crises which are biased to one side and not the other. For example, Malaysian actress, television presenter, commercial model and entrepreneur, Neelofa goes against the SOP for a honeymoon at Langkawi Isle and is fined only RM 50, 000 whereas a man who just opened his mask to eat lunch was fined RM 5 000.
So the question is, why is there a double standard for the fine? The Malaysia democracy has a leeway that to the extent power was abused inappropriately. Like before, Prof Jomo Kwame Sundram said, every proclamation of emergency has its own agenda. It is possible that the current Malaysian government no longer upholds democracy because their minds are captivated by the influence of power and worldly affairs compared to the preparation of the hereafter.
Malaysia Democracy Needs Serious Work
To conclude, democracy should be a pillar of reflection not only in policy making but also shown by the people’s leaders elected by the people to represent the people on the domestic and international stage. But now, the voice of the people themselves seems to be buried simply because Parliament is closed and the role of check and balance is gone. Heck people are suffering when the Member Parliaments of their constituency are jollying leisurely around the globe. We do not wish Malaysia democracy to be toyed around as it is not a game of thrones since the people’s life should not be jousted as a Shakesphearean play. Let alone, the parliament member shall pay the price on the next General election, in which the date of voting and campaigning is yet unknown.
*Disclaimer: This article has been edited for clarity. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the stance of the Malaysian Philosophy Society.