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Stop Telling Followers "It is Sweet and Fitting" to Blindly Support Self Serving Party Leaders.
By Mihar Dias (C) Copyright August 2022
Leaders, Malays in particular, often tell their people it is indeed "fitting" or, "the right thing" for them to do to support their party (UMNO) because it is the only political group that will fight for them.
Yes, so it seems since independence!
That reminds me of a Latin phrase of Ode 3.2 (Valor) by an old Roman poet Horace "Dulce et Decorum est" which means "it is sweet and fitting" which is certainly apt for Malays in modern Malaysia too, to support this grand old party that delivered the country its independence from colonial rule in 1957.
Yes, it is sweet and fitting to support the one and only Malay party without questions. Perhaps!
On the other hand, during World War I, Wilfred Owen wrote one of his best poems published posthumously in 1920 using the same phrase but followed it with another in Latin too, pro-Patria Mori, which means "to die for one's country".
Owen strung the two phrases together Dulce et Decorum est pro-Patria Mori as a title of his poem which means, it is sweet and fitting to die for one's country.
Politicians often use this expression to rally support from the teeming masses.
But Owen, being Owen cynically ended that poem which is well known for its horrific imagery and condemnation of war with, "My friend, you would not tell with such high zest/To children ardent for some desperate glory/The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est Pro Patria Mori", if only you knew what misery it was to serve and die in battle.
Since independence Malays have been told and rightly so, that they have nowhere else to go except the Malay Peninsula.
That this land belongs to them and they have to fight to defend it, come what may.
They have been taught to sing patriotic songs, swear allegiance to King and country, and believe in the sanctity of the laws, as part of their indoctrination or acculturation process.
There's nothing wrong to love your country, singing your heart out for the motherland and saluting the King.
It's the right thing to do.
Most Malays believe that it is right, to stay and fight for the motherland and support the old party and their leaders faithfully.
Yes, they are often told their leaders and the party shall always be there for them, so it seems.
So, on the day Najib was in Federal Court recently to make his final appeal many of those Malays who had faithfully followed Najib supposedly lined the road to the Palace of Justice.
They cried, they prayed and they shouted "Hidup Najib" because he is their chosen leader whom they believe might not be fairly treated by the highest court in the land.
In fact, on Tuesday 23 August the supporters were reportedly ferried via 10 buses from all across the peninsula, including from Najib's own constituency of Pekan, Pahang which reportedly sent seven.
Also, because they had been told over and over again that it is their duty not to question or doubt their party leaders who had supported them through thick and thin.
They are made to believe that the leaders are infallible. Until they are lulled into forgetting that party leaders are mere mortals, like them, often falling prey to temptations.
Yet they persist in the belief that their leaders can do no wrong, so they think.
They are also taught to think that their leaders are selfless people who put people first. But in the case of Najib, it was revealed that the revered leader was far from that!
Najib is not as infallible and selfless as he is made out to be yet many still refuse to accept the truth.
Similarly, Najib's sidekick Zahid said he is for Bossku for better or worse and allegedly faulted the court for not siding with the former PM.
Najib played the role of a victimised accused dismissing his counsels to show that he was judged unfairly by the Federal Court while he was unrepresented.
Why?
Learned opinions say he wanted the whole country to believe the court has been unfair thus strengthening his case when he bids for clemency, perhaps a pardon from the King.
His loyal supporters and the gullible sympathised with Najib believing in the lies atop other lies that have been told, that it's fitting to even die for their leader.
To reinforce that, Najib went even further by using religion to show his innocence and swore in a mosque yet again to convince Muslim Malay supporters as he did once previously.
This time he drew more support from sympathisers. About 500 cramped into Kampung Baru mosque to hear Najib take the "swear oath" on the eve of his final appeal.
Then a group of 70 plus division heads allegedly descended upon Putrajaya imploring the PM to intercede in the case.
We hope sanity prevails. We are counting upon Najib's die-hard supporters not to run wild with emotions demanding his release.
Also, we are hoping the rest of the right-thinking Malaysians will keep their cool in the face of serious opposition from the other group.
However, many Malays, in general, have already seen the absurdity of Najib's antics; firing his lawyers just prior to his appeal and in the final days of hearing by the Federal Court then turning to the gallery, "look at me I am unrepresented!"
We are appalled to see a former premier and his deputy who often sought redress from the same court willing to undermine its authority when it comes to a situation where chances of winning are not in their favour. Asking the PM to intervene in the 11th hour is indeed preposterous.
Why don't party members just reject outright this blind loyalty to embattled Najib?
The answer lies in what Owen said in his poem. They have been told the same old lie once too often: Dulce et decorum est Pro Patria Mori." It's sweet and fitting to die for your... leaders?"
This time it's Najib the Dear Leader to whom they have pledged loyalty that needed help.
Next could well be Zahid or some other corrupted leaders who are still awaiting investigations and may yet face charges in the near future.
So ask me not why some Malays are blindly supporting Najib to the bitter end.
Well, besides the old lies there might have been some inducements like positions of power or financial rewards that Tun M alleged Najib bestowed upon his supporters while in office.
These never fail to buy support. Many are probably obligated (terhutang budi) to Najib for what the latter has given them in the past.
Charisma and rhetoric alone would not move mountains.
So Najib needed the cash which is "king" to him to buy loyalty. That's partly why he is in this predicament in the first place.
But please quit telling the simple folks to fight or even die for political leaders because they come and go every five years, particularly the corrupt.
However, do continue with the spirit of fighting for King and Country and uphold the Constitution and the rule of law.
But, at the same time, take heed of Owen's warning, you certainly do not want to over-glorify wars or conflicts by telling every young and naive man that it's sweet and fitting to die in battles or at the barricades!
It's not.
So avoid conflict.
Avoid war at all costs.
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