Even now, still serving officers who retain a semblance of what we – Malays and non-Malays – taught them back in the day, tell us (those of us who are still alive, that is) how the dangerous ideas of race and religion have compromised not only tradecraft but ideas such as brotherhood and patriotism in the state security apparatus.

By corrupting the racial and religious make-up of these public institutions, what these institutions then became are Malay institutions, beloved by Malay political operatives who not only use them as a reliable vote bank but also as a cudgel to bash non-Malay political operatives.

So when Adnan says civil servants are always apolitical and neutral, this is complete horse manure.

When it comes to the military, for instance, former politician, provocateur – where is he now? Ibrahim Ali, said it best when he desired a military base in his constituency because it would increase BN-friendly voters.

"A battalion of troops, that's a lot of voters. Serampang dua mata (kill two birds with one stone). Build it now in the name of national security, sediakan payung sebelum hujan (be prepared)," he had said.

Biro Tata Negara

Let us not forget that glorious public institution which was the Biro Tata Negara. How many minds over the decades did this public institution mould, which created public servants infused with the ketuanan mindset?

The “reform” of this public propaganda tool during Najib Abdul Razak’s 1Malaysia fiasco was a comedy show, worth revisiting especially when soon-to-be-retired Nazri Abdul Aziz was headlining.

Remember when the former prime minister (twice) Dr Mahathir Mohamad decided that there was nothing to revamp in this supposedly most vital of public institutions? Well, Nazri called him a racist.

"If they have a problem with that, I want to know what their problem is. Do they want to say that Malaysia belongs only to the Malays and the government is only a Malay government? Should only the Malays be given the spirit of patriotism?

"Other races are not patriotic about their country? So I want them to point out to me where is it that I have gone wrong if I disagree with the past syllabus."

Kua Kia Soong pointed out in a letter in 2018, when he said: “Amirudin Shari, the assemblyperson for Batu Caves (now known as Sungai Tua), claimed that ‘participants are indoctrinated with propaganda about Ketuanan Melayu and external threats.” Another participant claimed he was taught that the Chinese were ‘the Jews of Asia,’ and part of a conspiracy to topple the government.”

In 2017, former Treasury secretary-general Mohd Sheriff Mohd Kassim opined that the government of the day should cut down on the oversized civil service. As reported in the press, he said the country's bloated civil service has created inefficiencies in the economy and failures in the financial disciplines of ministries and government departments.

There is a reason why the civil service has become bloated. This has everything to do with a sustained effort by successive governments to create a class of voters loyal to a racial and religious hegemon.

Remember in that Malay dignity congress, where Malay political operatives from the Malay uber alles parties got together and presented five resolutions which essentially argued that top positions in the government should be reserved for Malays only?

Why don’t we just legislate this issue?

Why doesn’t the Malay establishment work with their willing non-Malay counterparts and draft up legislation that non-Malays and Malay liberals cannot hold positions of power and influence in the government or the civil service because this would cause distress to the Malay community and that it is perfectly acceptable for the civil service, the state security apparatus to be dominated – no wait – solely made up of Malays?

Why not draw up legislation that would give legal validity to all those fears and grievances of the Malay community when it comes to non-Malay/liberal Malay leadership in this country?

After all, non-Malay political operatives and Malay liberals are constantly warned not to spook the Malays or not trespass into territories that are supposedly exclusive “Malay”.

For years we were fed the narrative that the government was supposed to be a bastion of Malay leadership and privilege.

This way someone like the Cuepacs president and the various other Malay uber alles political operatives would not have to bend over backwards and have to deal with questions by people like Kok or Syahredzan Johan (Lim Kit Siang's political secretary) or anyone really who thinks that the “ethic imbalance” in the civil service is detrimental to all Malaysians.

This way, we do not have to have these types of discussions but more importantly, have to put up with the idiotic responses of bureaucrats and lackeys who prove that Malaysia is truly a perfect example of a kakistocracy.