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This article first appeared in Forum, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on December 21, 2020 - December 27, 2020

“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.” — Abraham Lincoln, 16th president of the USA (1809–1865)

The Malaysian political scene is often a sight to behold. Students of leadership will be well-advised to study the goings-on in our corridors of power. They will be richly rewarded for their keen eye.

Recently, something quite unprecedented in the annals of our political history came to pass — our political elites in Perak were rightly rebuked by no less than His Royal Highness, the extremely eloquent Sultan of the state. Sultan Nazrin Muizzudin Shah made known his ire and disappointment when he said that a third swearing-in ceremony to install the Perak menteri besar in just two years is not something to be proud of!

In a strongly-worded speech, Sultan Nazrin took state politicians to task over the latest political conundrum in his state. In his address, he noted that “…this (development) is not a history to be proud of. What had happened will be recorded as a reflection of failure, instead of success. (It is) the failure of leaders among politicians to ensure consistent consolidated support to allow thoughts and energy to be focused on administrating the state in the best way possible in the interest of the people”.

He could well be addressing Malaysian politicians at large because the national perception of the incumbent government is one that is weak, bereft of strong support, and owing its existence to transactional means, and not the legitimate support of all parliamentarians.

As a casual observer, I try to look for the best in our political leaders. “Politics”,  opined a veteran journalist, “is not for the polite”. But sometimes, even I cringe when a few of our elected officials resort to tried-and-tested tactics to placate their constituents while mocking, nay, bad-mouthing their opposition. This, honourable gentlemen, is NOT on! A healthy debate though, is.

Many a time, I recoil in horror as racial-baiting or religious sentiments are spewed without nary a care about their impact on our social fabric. We, the Malaysians who voted you into office, deserve better.

Our Malaysian politicians are indeed an interesting bunch. While it is true that many are trying their utmost to solve the nation’s present economic, social and health problems, a few have found the boots of their predecessors too big to fill. And this is sad, if not tragic.

These are the same politicians who, when seeking election earlier, routinely claim that they are motivated by a “desire to serve the nation”, and if elected, they will “fight the good fight”, and to “do what is right”.

Here’s the bitter truth, dear politicians: those “pretty” (pithy) phrases that you spew are routinely disbelieved by a sceptical electorate.

Hillary Clinton briefly managed to puncture that scepticism in 2016 with her near-tears performance in New Hampshire, during the last leg of her presidential campaign. She made those who were following her believe that she was indeed fighting the “good fight”.

In an interview after her loss, Clinton said that she cried because she was upset: “I have had so many opportunities from this country. I just don’t want to see us fall backwards.” She wept not for herself, but for her nation as she saw it.

Watching her, I am compelled to ask a fundamental question about politics and politicians: What motivates these people to seek political power?

Poring through the books in my library, I sought answers to that question. After reading countless biographies and historical accounts, I have come to an unexpected conclusion: I now believe politicians and the people around them seek power mainly for its own sake.

They could have been ambitious high school or college student leaders; they could also have read biographies of great men and women. They could have watched series like The West Wing” and Yes, Prime Minister and decided they wanted a piece of it — the opportunity and power — to maybe influence history, but more likely to have their names carved and hewn for posterity.

I got an insight into the thrill of power recently, when I lunched with a friend who is an insider in Putrajaya. He had helped to handle a recent critical emergency, working from a prominent ministry there.

“What was it like?” I asked him. “Brilliant,” he replied. “You get to meet all these senior politicians and generals and chief of police sitting around in uniform. You try to behave like the proverbial fly-on-the-wall, but you cannot help being in awe of the personages in the room. It feels very James Bond-ish, and I was thrilled!”

Is my friend uniquely juvenile? I suspect not — just unusually honest. He certainly believed that all the other officials around the table were delighting in the little rituals of crisis management too.

My light research points me to one peculiar but unsurprising fact — that the thrill of power extends right to the very top.

Even the UK’s Tony Blair was prey to it. I was told that a friend who visited with the Blair family saw a photo album, and was amused to find photos of the former first family in Downing Street, with captions such as: “We’ve made it!” How very human.

Power in Malaysia means access to the inner sanctum — Sri Perdana, access to the “designed-to- impress” Prime Minister’s Office, the oh-so-pretentious motorcade, the files marked Rahsia Kerajaan (Top Secret). It’s all very thrilling.

Power also means that everything is laid out for you. For former prime ministers and political kingpins globally, the loss of their official cars seems to rankle particularly badly. A journalist recalled the stricken grin of Blair as he and his wife were forced to wait for their transport, as they arrived back home in Sedgefield on the day of his resignation.

But does it matter if politicians and their entourages are attracted to power for reasons other than a disinterested desire to serve the public?

Yes and no. I think this comes down to these two questions. The first is to do with motivation, and the second is to do with their ability to do the job. Vanity could, in fact, be a good thing. Since politicians want to be admired, they want to be seen to be doing a good job. That is why many worry a lot about their “place in history”.

However, if powerful people become too self-conscious, there is a risk that it could interfere with their ability to perform their duties. If everybody in the august hall of our parliament is sitting there thinking, “Gosh, if only Mother could see me now”, they may not be concentrating on the job in hand.

Still, a degree of self-consciousness among those new to power may be inevitable. As our ministers and deputy ministers walk down the corridors of their ministries, it would be very unusual if they were not aware of the grandeur and the history of their jobs. Many before them have done so and charted the course of our nation’s history handsomely.

So, whoever eventually wins the 15th general election (when it finally comes) and is appointed the ninth prime minister of Malaysia, I hope he possesses the right motivations, and has a fierce and burning “desire to serve the nation”, and “fight the good fight”, and “do what is right”.


Zakie Shariff is a director of Universiti Malaysia Pahang

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