To gain password acess to the works linked below please contact nrajah@sfu.ca
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.
2. Ethnocracy: A form of government based on communalism. It is more widespread than you might think. Sometimes it is an explict premise, at other times, it is just an unstated reality.
Siapa Parasit? In Bong Joon-ho’s 2019 Academy Award-winning film Parasite, members of a poor family, are employed by a wealthy homeowning family. They infiltrate the household and attempt take over their wealth resources and lives. Post Malaysia’s GE15 Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) has accused the Democratic Action Party (DAP) of being a parasite riding on a Malay unity government that will in the end destroy the “weak” host. The Chinese-dominated multiethnic DAP was the 2nd most successful party in GE15 with 40 seats and will be part of the Unity Governmenmt under Malaysia’s 10th Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim. PAS was the party that won the most seats, numbering 47 and will be part of the opposition.
Image: http://www.ruthlessreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/parasite-meta.jpg
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2022/11/30/pas-accuses-dap-of-being-a-parasite-heres-what-the-data-shows-about-its-position-in-govt/42709
https://public.flourish.studio/visualisation/12000736/
Now that the katak metaphor is obsolete we have shifting goal posts in Malaysian politics..
Image adapted from: http://pongfootball.weebly.com/
see also: https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/645966
Politik Malaysia 1955 -2022
1955 – A decisive win for Alliance in the first elections held in Malaya.
2022 – A Unity Government consisting of PH, BN, GPS, and GRS
Anwar has become detached from Pakatan Harapan and is imbricated with UMNO, GPS and GRS. UMNO now occupies the place of the MCA as the second partner in the coalition as MCA has been displaced. DAP has taken the place third place from MIC. Following not so far behind, as the Unity Government crosses the finish line, is the ethnocracy threatened by Perikatan Nasional. PAS is already there at the finish as the party that won the largest number of seats in GE 15.
Previous version: https://koboiproject.com/2020/07/15/politik-malaysia-1955-2020/
Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, Franco’s Spain, Salazar’s Portugal, Papadopoulos’ Greece, Pinochet’s Chile, and Suharto’s Indonesia are the 7 regimes that Laurence W. Britt analyzed to develop his set of fascistic characteristics. Like Umberto Eco before him, he came up with 14 key characteristics, which he construed as fascist and proto-fascist means of obtaining, expanding, and maintaining power. He presented this list in an Op-Ed titled Fascism Anyone? in Volume 23, No. 2 Spring 2003 of ‘Free Inquiry’ as follows –
1. Powerful and continuing expressions of nationalism.
2. Disdain for the importance of human rights.
3. Identification of enemies/scapegoats as a unifying cause.
4. The supremacy of the military/avid militarism.
5. Rampant sexism.
6. A controlled mass media.
7. Obsession with national security.
8. Religion and ruling elite tied together.
9. Power of corporations protected.
10. Power of labor suppressed or eliminated.
11. Disdain and suppression of intellectuals and the arts
12. Obsession with crime and punishment.
13. Rampant cronyism and corruption.
14. Fraudulent elections.
While, as Daniel Malmer notes this list was not intended to be used to diagnose fascism in present governments, but rather characterize historical fascist governments, it is nevertheless interesting to see how many of these fascistic characteristic apply to the purported democracies of the world.
As a Malaysian, I find that the polity of my country seems to exhibit a good 11 of the Britt’s 14 traits. If this were not worrying enough for the long view, we have just joined a list of dysfunctional nations that have suspended parliamentary rule and instituted emergency powers in the context of the Covid-19 epidemic. This is the first such declaration of emergency since the aftermath of the race riots of May 13th 1969.
According to Bloomberg, the state of emergency was declared soon after some key leaders in the ruling coalition’s largest partner, United Malays National Organisation had called for a fresh election. They also report that the Pakatan Harapan opposition has admonished the Prime Minister for burdening the people with a declaration of emergency for the sake of saving himself. Oh Ei Sun, a senior fellow at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs has described the emergency as “totally unnecessary” and that “If you’re not careful, we will slip from parliamentary democracy into a rule by diktat.”
https://secularhumanism.org/2003/03/fascism-anyone/
https://medium.com/@danielmalmer/the-long-complicated-history-of-the-14-defining-characteristics-of-fascism-e366412932f
https://www.bloomberg.com/amp/news/articles/2021-01-12/malaysia-pm-says-it-s-not-a-coup-but-critics-see-a-power-grab
“After three stints in prison and more than two decades of waiting, Anwar has had enough. He may have the number. He may not. But after Muhyiddin’s sickening betrayal, the prime minister has lost his right to condemn anyone of trying to topple his backdoor government. Even if the entire UMNO bloc shifts its support for Anwar, one should not be surprised at all.” So says FINANCE TWITTER as represented in the Malaysian Chronicle.
Make or break, for better or for worse, Anwar has made his play … the future is uncertain but the game goes on!
Source Image: https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-1-349-16634-3_6
Sorry Dr M
Still, we have to acknowledge that, right or wrong, Dr M’s way is a தனி வழி (one of SUPERSTAR Rajinikanth’s greatest punchlines is “En vazhi thani vazhi,” which means, “My path is a unique path.”)
Indeed, in spite of all of the above intrigue and conflict, Anwar and Harapan still back Mahathir as their prime ministerial candidate. Even after a massive box office failure, the SUPERSTAR still remains the SUPERSTAR!
The Koboi Project 
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