By Professor Dr. Mohd Tajuddin Mohd Rasdi

As I watched the unfolding drama of Malaysia's politics from the start of the Parliament special proceeding, I felt a sick knot in my stomach that my fear of this nation eventually moving towards an autocracy seems pretty much destined.

I doubt very much that we will ever see an election in two year's time.

The government of the day has been successful in using COVID-19 to spend our money unchecked, to avoid a no confidence vote, to have a one day 'listen-only' parliament and now a delaying tactic for another confidence vote.

Even though most Malaysians know of the obvious loss of majority in the government of the day, we all have to sit there day after day and ask, why is this PM allowed so much leeway to get away with his fantasy of a majority? Was it not enough that the PN was given the privilege to rule under an Emergency? Apa lagi lu mau?

I have written many times that awarding an emergency in handling COVID-19 to any ruling party is tantamount to ushering an era of autocracy that will be unchecked and unwilling to give up this 'do anything-lah management'.

I do not blame the YDP Agong for agreeing to the Emergency when he was presented with dubious reports by top ranking civil servants who have the lowest form of professionalism and integrity like the present DG Nor Hisham who let many MPs crowd the PM's house but disallowed parliament to proceed on the grounds of infection.

That was the lowest form of unprofessional conduct I have ever seen in my entire professional career, and I have seen judges, AGs, police and MACC acting in a manner unbecoming from my seat as a citizen of this country during the Reformasi era trials and others.

I have always said that the PN government is a legitimate government because we created the stupid political system of jumping frogs in the first place.

I said that like it or not, we have to support the PN government if it shows that it can manage the country.

In the beginning, the PN government seemed to be okay with its management until the one-day sitting of Parliament and then their asking for Emergency powers.

I don't blame PN for the Sabah election as that was also part of our own stupid political system of rewarding frogs with titles, positions and wealth.

It was our own fault and make damn sure we change that system next time we win.

The PH under Tun M did not change the system as Tun M was busy destroying Umno and increasing his PPBM with MPs.

Our own fault and no one to blame.

Also stupid is the childish idea of allocating grant money to government-friendly MPs and not equally to all MPs.

No one to blame but us and the PH.

Syed Saddiq told me a story where he was against that system but was voted down by his own side.

What's next? I predict there will be no more election for our children. Even before we had elections which was managed by a seemingly biased Election Commission which seems to favor the ruling government.

Again our fault for creating an appointment system of the chairman by ridiculous means.

The Opposition is no better in many respects. The Sabah and Sarawak parties are always looking for deals for their own nations specifically at the expense of the whole Malaysian citizenry and the future of our children.

Both nations had their own leaders that beggared the country. Don't blame federal influence but your own doing.

What about race-based parties like MCA? Still no back bone after a stirring performance in the early history of the nation.

How about Pejuang? Still supporting a man who wrecked the institutions of this country not once but twice.

I foresee a day when this kind of government of one race and one religion may produce a frightening narrative that autocratic rule is the divine right of one religion and that one race is the only divinely ordained ruler of this country.

We already have the narrative of the superiority of religion over the constitutional spirit of our founding fathers being marketed by one party.

We can see how the academics in public universities seem to acknowledge this narrative by their silence and support of the Kongres Melayu a few years ago.

In this month of Merdeka, when the Dataran Merdeka was denied to the youngsters in a peaceful rally to question the leaders of the day, I proclaim that this country is as good as dead.

Malaysia is no longer a failed nation or even a pariah country. There is nothing lower or detestable in the English language to describe where we are after merely six decades of independent rule.

(Professor Dr. Mohd Tajuddin Mohd Rasdi is Professor at a local university.)