The Koboi Project is a photo-performative instantiation of identity across the discontinuities of a multi-generational diasporic experience.
8. Theocracy: An archaic form of government, soon to make a comeback near you! In Malaysia, theocracy used to vie for power with ethnocracy but in GE15 these the forces pushing for these two systems of goverments have coalaced to an unprecedented degree.
7. Plutocracy: A form of government exercised by the few (the 1%). It is a global phenomena but in Malaysia we can see clearly how its the same small bunch of friends, or rather frenemies, that has ruled us for decades.
6. Idiocracy: A form of government familiar to Malaysians. Beyond corruption and communal interests, it is carelessness, waste and stupidity that are the greatest impedements to the achievement of good governance. Of course, there is no denying that corruption and the shameless expresession of communal inerests can lead to Idiocracy.
5. Meritocracy: A form of government based on fair competition and excellence. Of course, while claims are made for this form of governance, it can not exist without equality of opportunity. This is a reflexive relationship. The more opportunity a community or class has, the more capacity for merit its members might accrue. Less opportunity for the group will make it harder for individuals to achieve thge so called ‘meritorious’ results. Unmitigated meritocracy might bring what I call synchronic justice, but it might be unjust in terms of the history of opportunity. This historical dimension can be addressed by affirmative action, which might enable what I term diachronic justice. Malaysia’s NEP is a case in point. The problem, however, is that it is very difficult to ascertain when diachronic justice has been done and the goal must be reset to synchronic justice .
Updated 22.11.2023
Nahvin Muthusamy used his speech as a Royal Education Award winner at the Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka’s (UTeM) 19th convocation ceremony, to call for an end to racial quotas and a turn towards Meritocracy in Malaysian higher education. Is it time to pivot from diachronic justice to synchronic justice? Are the Malays ready to compete without a handicap? If, as the infamous exchange between another young Indian student and the Prime Minister of Malaysia at the Kolej Matrikulasi Pulau Pinang confirms, the answer to these questions is a resounding -NO!; are we at least ready to modify our ethnocentric quota system, to better ameliorate the devastating narrowing of opportunity it brings to the least fortunate non-Malays?
4. Infocracy: A form of government based on the control of information. We have moved from the age of state controlled media to an era of oligarchic media cross interests. We have also moved from broadcast media to social media -Facebook, Google, Amazon, cyber troopers, bot farms ……
3. Hypnocracy: A form of government based on the susseptibility of human consciousness to having its attention focused from the outside, resulting in a reduced awareness of political reality and an enhanced capacity to respond to manipulative suggestions. This term was coined by Mark Parlett.
2. Ethnocracy: A form of government based on communalism. It is more widespread than you might think. Sometimes it is an explicit premise, at other times, it is just an unstated reality. Wherever the communal organization is stated explicitly in law, we find the formal ethnocracy that we call apartheid.
Here are three instances of legislated ethnocracy –
1) Canada, the quintessential settler-colonial ethnocracy, based on the Indian Act, status identity cards, and native reservations, upon which South African apartheid was based.
2) Malaysia, where there is a constitutionally enshrined ‘special position’ for the indigenous Malays by which they assert their supremacy over immigrant Indians and Chinese who settled under the auspices of colonial rule.
3) Israel, where there is an ongoing occupation of Palestinian lands effected through an apartheid system that involves limiting the Palestinian’s right to movement, denying them the right to vote, and subjecting them to a separate legal system. The seal was set on this ethnocracy, when Israel passed a law in 2018, symbolically affirming that it was the nation-state of the Jewish people.
Teka Teki: Malaysia, Canada, Israel; Apa Persamaannya?
Jawapan: Semuanya mengamalkan Ethnocracy!
UPDATED 13.11.2023
https://en.everybodywiki.com/Apartheid_in_Malaysia
https://troymedia.com/politicslaw/indigenous-apartheid-system-canada/
https://www.vox.com/23924319/israel-palestine-apartheid-meaning-history-debate
https://www.vox.com/world/2018/7/31/17623978/israel-jewish-nation-state-law-bill-explained-apartheid-netanyahu-democracy
1. Hypocracy: The most common form of government throughout the democratic world. Particularly popular in Malaysia!
Update 20.09.2023: The recent DNAA (Discharge not amounting to acquittal) of Deputy Prime Minister Zahid Hamidi on 47 graft charges (involving Yayasan Akalbudi funds), following on from various governmental actions and decisions like the announcement in May of various allocations and mega projects (despite a pledge to discontinue such practices), has laid Anwar’s government open to accuations of hypocrisy.
https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2023/09/04/high-court-grants-zahid-discharge-not-amounting-to-acquittal-in-yab-case
Just as Rajinikanth is set to re-release Baba, the new Malaysian Cabinet has been announced with a sole Malaysian Indian Minister. Sivakumar Varatharaju Naidu is the Minister of Human Resources in Anwar Ibrahim’s cabinet. It is interesting that Sivakumar was the Speaker of the House who, on March 3rd, 2009, convened the Perak State Assembly, the shade of a rain tree. While this controversial move was seen both as democracy in action and rabble-rousing theatrics, what is undeniable is that the culture of momentous realization and action arising within arboreal settings is deeply Indian.
Rajinikanth’s 2002 flop Baba is to be re-released on the Superstar’s birthday on 12th December 2022. The film has been digitally enhanced and hopes for a better reception this time around. Thalaiver is supposed to have written on Twitter that Baba is “A film that will forever be closest to my heart … .”
The Koboi Project 
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