The Price of Hubris and not learning from history

The recent political landscape in Malaysia, as observed by UMNO information chief Shahril Sufian Hamdan, shows signs of instability for the ruling Pakatan Harapan coalition led by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Despite the prevailing pessimism, UMNO and its coalition, Barisan Nasional, have experienced a decline in momentum.

Shahril speculates this decline may be due to unintended consequences stemming from the house arrest of ex-PM Najib Razak, rather than a full-term prison sentence for the 1MDB scandal. Furthermore, the ongoing constitutional crisis in Negeri Sembilan, fueled by UMNO's attempts to oust the constitutional monarch, has tarnished their image.

UMNO has been accused of disregarding the Rukun Negara, Malaysia's national ideology, which emphasizes unity and harmony. The party's actions in Negeri Sembilan and its partial pardon of Najib Razak seem to violate these principles, raising concerns about their commitment to Malaysia's core values. UMNO's hubris, which led to their defeat in the 2018 general elections after a 61-year reign, has once again resulted in a crisis.

History has demonstrated that hubris often leads to ephemeral power, as exemplified by the poem "Ozymandias" by Percy Bysshe Shelley. UMNO's past successes, achieved since its formation in 1946, do not guarantee future triumphs when compared to civilizations and governments that have faded into obscurity. Despite a brief resurgence from frustrated voters, particularly younger and impressionable ones, UMNO's actions post the Johor and Negeri Sembilan polls suggest they have not evolved since their 2018 defeat. Instead, their behavior indicates they have not changed at all and may have become even worse.