Prime Minister Dr Mahathir wondered why his countrymen were so "gullible" for believing Nor Azami Ahmad Ghazali, leader of the Federal Special Forces of Malaysia (FSFM).

Gullible, it is - but why? It is because such things as claimed by Nor Azami do happen in the country. That's why.

We know of corporate leaders who bought their PhD's and tertiary degrees. Some of them had others sit for them in the examinations.

Just look at the news and read how many Datuks were implicated or prosecuted for criminal breaches of trusts, corporate misfeasance, triad links, murder and so on. Some even had their titles stripped off. Surely their conferment of titles could not, in the first instance, be based only on public service, merits and integrity.

In the same vein as the premier, Wong Chun Wai also questioned 'How gullible can these people be?' in his column ( The Star , August 3, 2003).

However, his article also cited claims by one FSFM member that his hospital registration fee was waived after he produced the FSFM authority card said to bear the Prime Minister's Department's logo, and that a policeman who stopped him for committing a traffic offence let him off after looking at the card. This shows that the authority card and uniform worked and procured the desired result.

According

to the Malay Mail , FSFM had conducted illegal VCD raids at an outlet in Cheras last Thursday, and were planning similar law enforcement activities elsewhere.

The fact is that public titles, authority cards, insignia, or uniform of paramilitary organisations, all work the patronage in our system.

In respect of the existence of various paramilitary organisations, your columnist MGG Pillai gave a chilling account in 'The rise of private political armies'. Even if one discounts portions of what this redoubtable journalist said, many of us could believe the remaining parts.

We live in a society that is highly stratified not just on race and religion, but also on social and power distinctions. It is a cultural milieu where although the Federal Constitution says all people and citizens are equal and have access to equal protection under the law, the reality is not quite so.

As George Orwell says in his book ' Animal Farm ': "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others." We can, from common Malaysian experience, identify with and testify the truth of Orwell's famous quote.

Referring to the notion of 'gullibility', this denotes a tendency to believe too readily and therefore be easily deceived. I don't think Malaysians are more gullible than others. That they had been misled as true by Nor Azami is actually highly 'believable' as borne out by our everyday experience.

The fact that so many have been duped is not so much an indictment of their gullibility and naivet, but rather an indictment of our system of feudal patronage and social stratification in servicing the interests of the upper and ruling classes.

If Nor Azami could con so many with false promises of power and authority, it is only because Malaysians understand that power and authority - not merit or integrity - are the true levers for upward mobility and success in this un-meritocratic and un-egalitarian society.

If unchecked and allowed to run its course, this bestowing of too many honorific, academic and other titles (that can be bought) will only devalue their significance.

There may well come a time that the rest without, will ironically end up being able to claim with credibility and humility that their title-less status is the only true badge of honour and integrity in society.

By all counts, Nor Azami is an exceptionally audacious man with several gifts and talents. With an education of up to only standard six, and according to a relative, a car wash man by calling, he could actually convince so many thousands (including the educated) to part with their money.

With knowledge of how our society and system works, he is able to tap into the collective impulse of people. Political parties who field candidates such as the likes of Nor Azami will surely be promised electoral victory.

So what is wrong in his having grandiloquent visions of being the next Prime Minister based on alphabet "N" at the end of RAHMAN when he has such abundant gifts and talents, albeit misguided?

Isn't he an embodiment of the national mantra, 'Malaysia Boleh' - that is, to punch above our weight class as the present premier extols?

Malaysians of course have to be careful. With such an exceptional man becoming prime minister in Bolehland, he probably will be the last one. There is, after all, no other alphabet after RAHMAN.