The Evil, Stupid and Arrogant in Malaysian Politics: Who is Jadong?

Hamzah Zainudin has used economic grievances to fire broadsides at the administration led by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, and even used a Malay portmanteau oft-used to belittle the intellectual prowess of political adversaries. The irony, however, is that the term “jadong” can be applied not only to the government of the day, but the ranks of the opposition that he leads.

Hamzah recently took to social media to discuss the Himpunan Selamatkan Rakyat (Rally to Save the People) gathering outside Istana Negara on 23 January. Attended by some 1,000 participants, the main grievance expressed at the rally concerned the people’s growing economic hardships. Representatives from four Muslim non-governmental organisations also submitted a memorandum to the previous Malaysian King emphasising the people’s struggles and criticizing Anwar Ibrahim’s government for its poor handling of the situation.

In a video uploaded to his social media platforms on the day of the rally, Hamzah said that “what happened at the rally today is history.” Commenting on how the participants braved the heat and demonstrated outside the palace on a workday, Hamzah said the rally was a sign that “the people have lost their hope in the government led by Anwar Ibrahim.”

Hamzah said that rising living costs have affected people from all walks of life, from p-hailing riders in the gig economy to small business owners. Citing that people are even taking their own lives because of the stress from their economic struggles, Hamzah said that this is a result of a government that is “evil” and “arrogant”. More specifically, he used the term “jadong government”.

The derogatory term he chose is intriguing. Jadong is a portmanteau of the Malay words jahat (evil), bodoh (stupid), and sombong (arrogant). As Hamzah said in his video, he took the term from the late Malaysian scholar, Syed Hussein Alatas, who coined it in 2000. First mentioned in his book Cita Sempurna Warisan Sejarah (The Ideals of Excellence as Historical Legacy), which was based on a lecture given at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Alatas used jadong to refer to incapable leaders who hindered the progress of society. These leaders are described as being governed by “ideals of destruction” (cita bencana) such as a lack of moral values, corrupt practices, and misuse of power at the expense of the people.

Hamzah’s usage of jadong is unusual and even surprising. The late Professor Alatas, known for his sharp criticisms of the political elite, was often marginalised as an intellectual despite having served his country in numerous capacities. A founding member of the multiracial Gerakan party — alongside other intellectuals such as Professor Wang Gungwu — he also served as a senator in the Dewan Negara (the upper house in Parliament), and made significant contributions to the formulation of the Rukun Negara (National Principles). He spent more than two decades in Singapore as the founding head of Malay Studies at the National University of Singapore and spent the twilight years of his professional life as the vice-chancellor of Universiti Malaya.

Malaysian politicians since the 1970s have distanced themselves from Alatas’ works, and it is only fairly recently that the political class from across the spectrum started using jadong, even when they are not necessarily well-versed in Alatas’ other ideas.

Alatas’ sociological perspectives often contradicted those of the elites in the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO). His writings included criticisms of prime ministers Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Abdul Razak, and Mahathir Mohamad when they were at the height of power. Alatas rebuked corruption, feudal and authoritarian political culture, and orientalism which were rampant among the political elite. He urged Malaysian elites — politicians, religious clerics (ulama), and cultural elites — to represent the humanist tradition and uphold progressive Islamic values.

Malaysian politicians since the 1970s have distanced themselves from Alatas’ works, and it is only fairly recently that the political class from across the spectrum started using jadong, even when they are not necessarily well-versed in Alatas’ other ideas. For example, Democratic Action Party’s Sheikh Omar Ali and Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s Adam Adli used it in 2021 and 2023 respectively.

However, if Hamzah wants to use Alatas’ jadong, he also has to place the late professor’s works in the context of his broader criticisms of Malaysian elites. In his lifetime, Alatas also applied the concept of religious traditionalism to analyse religious elites’ non-contextual application of religious texts when facing current problems. He was also critical of Mahathir’s and UMNO’s excessive capitalistic policies that led to the widening gulf between the rich and poor. Most relevant, he coined the term “psychological feudalism” to describe Malay elites’ mindsets that also trickled down to the masses who became subservient towards their leaders.

It is worth asking if the term is only applicable to Anwar’s government. Lately, prominent Malaysians have been taken to court for failing to declare their wealth, with the latest being former finance minister Daim Zainuddin and his wife. Several of Mahathir’s children have also been taken to task by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC). Hamzah himself was allegedly involved in a corruption case.

The current opposition’s behaviour while in power during the Covid-19 pandemic also raises questions as to whether they too behaved as a jadong government by prolonging the state of emergency, exercising double standards for ministers during movement control orders, and preventing no-confidence motions against the prime minister from being passed in Parliament.

Nevertheless, Anwar must address criticisms from the opposition that he is selectively persecuting his opponents. He has to explain the Attorney General’s decision not to continue prosecuting Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi despite his 47 charges for corruption and abuse of power. Leaving these criticisms unaddressed demonstrates the government’s evil behaviour and arrogance.

In short, politicians of different stripes do not have a monopoly on the use of jadong, or jadong itself, for that matter. What is good for the goose is good for the gander. All Malaysian politicians regardless of their position should reflect on the pervasiveness of jadong.

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