“The Reading” – Vittorio Reggianini, 1858-1939
Imagine a time, not so long ago, when simply wearing glasses could get you killed. When knowing too much, or being able to speak languages like French, guaranteed you a one-way ticket to the land six feet under. This was no horror movie; this was 1970s Cambodia under the ruling clutches of the Khmer Rouge. It was the terrifying reality of what happens when a society turns against anyone who thinks differently, against intellect itself. This was the hemlock that poisoned Socrates at his trial, delivered en masse to those who dared question norms. This was the burning of books orchestrated by the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany. This was the death of intellectualism.
While Malaysia is light-years away from such horrors, illiteracy among young people today may fuel anti-intellectualism. A society that willingly accepts and never questions their superiors is a worse fate than one that does and is punished for it. National school dropout rates, despite a steady decrease, still remain alarmingly high. Last year, about 42% of students failed to meet proficient reading and counting standards by the age of eleven. This problem is far worse in rural areas, where students are more likely to forgo formal education in favour of working for survival and to support their families. Child marriage, often seen as a means to an end for these families, traps young girls in cycles of poverty. On top of that, frequent revisions to the education curriculum and their poor implementation further confuse and discourage students. With such burdens, it is no doubt that school is increasingly becoming an option rather than a necessity for some. It is not even the lack of access to education that concerns me most — after all, some people have never gone to university yet display a thirst for knowledge far greater than many degree-holders — but rather the lack of enthusiasm towards education that poses a far greater threat. Without curiosity and interest in issues beyond the confines of one’s commune, we fail to equip our children with the right skills and attitudes needed for collective progress.
Although I am sure you can think of many factors to blame, I believe that at the heart of this problem is a figure (perhaps several) that we all know and have met at some point in our lives — the snob. ‘Riak’, stuck-up, pretentious, are all fitting words to describe the snob. This may be your friend who flaunts their English proficiency and judges you for your ‘lack of taste’ or ‘poor spelling and grammar’. It is that person who is a nightmare in conversation circles — the one who raises an eyebrow and stifles a laugh at you for not knowing this or that, or who is whom. The city kid who proudly preaches class consciousness and socialism with big words, but has never worked a day in their life or who has never really mingled outside their bubble. There is also the deceitful snobbery of the holier-than-thou who assumes a direct correlation between one’s lack of sufficient religious knowledge and their moral standing.
Some snobs may be part of the petit bourgeoisie (or ‘petty’ bourgeoisie) – a term used to describe ‘try-hards’ and social climbers who aspire to act like the upper class, obsessed with imposing strict rules on what is ‘highbrow’ or ‘cool’. The snob gatekeeps culture, and passionately looks down on everything and everyone else. More worryingly, some snobs are not even aware of their snobbishness, and with nobody to point it out, never grow out of their superiority complex. It is the snob who, in my opinion, terrifies people away from the humble pursuit of knowledge.
This divide goes far beyond a moment of dissatisfaction at one’s arrogance. It is a global anxiety about intellectual pride, the fear that those who claim to know best are almost always disconnected from the vox populi, the voice of the masses. People who grow up in villages, council flats, or working-class neighbourhoods are made to feel that their stories are lowbrow, their jargon vulgar, their opinions second-class. People who eventually rise to better circumstances find it difficult to reconnect with those back home. When intellectual pursuits come to be associated with elitism, this marginalizes a large group of people who view such discourse as pretentious or irrelevant. The result is a weakening of the foundations of a democracy, leaving societies vulnerable to misinformation.
Oppressive regimes like the Khmer Rouge were fans of this strategy. Intellectuals were always viewed as enemies of the proletariat, obstacles in their pursuit of a utopia of working-class farmers. The fear was that knowledge, critical thinking, and education challenges authority and the uniformity they craved. In Malaysia, conformity over curiosity is also somewhat encouraged, albeit far from that extent. In early 2023, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim proclaimed that the Malaysian government will “never recognise secularism, communism, and LGBT”. These words hinted at later efforts at censorship, carried out under the Printing and Publications Act 1985. At least 13 books have been banned this year alone for containing themes deemed inappropriate and offensive. According to ethics professor Anthony Langlois, censorship is not only often ineffective but can be harmful to Malaysia’s democratic credentials. The recent confiscation of some Fixi books, censorship of controversial films, the seizure of Swatch’s Pride watch collection were all attempts at policing the public. While some efforts to advocate for artistic freedom prevail such as the Freedom Film Network’s Bebaskan Filem, Zikri Rahman reports that legislative setbacks further complicate matters. Violations of artistic and press freedom are symptoms of a culture of anti-intellectualism, and without an informed public, we may continue to live in blissful ignorance.
To overcome the scourge of anti-intellectualism and snobbery, we must foster a culture that democratises knowledge. It means celebrating diverse voices in accessible ways. It means dismantling the ‘us’ vs. ‘them’ mentality, and reaching out a hand to your fellow friend. True intellectualism is not just about fancy degrees or social status. It is about being willing to ask, to learn, and to understand. It is about forming your own opinions and not being afraid to be against the herd — or, should you find yourself part of the herd, to stand on your own two feet and voice yourself in a respectful way. Carl Sagan once said, “There are no dumb questions.” The answer to elitism is not rejecting knowledge but by celebrating all kinds of intelligence and curiosity. And last but not least, to recognise and challenge the snob within ourselves in order to build an intellectually vibrant society.
References:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-06-29/malaysia-book-bans-aim-to-police-public-morality/105425594 https://artsequator.com/malaysia-artistic-freedom-report-2023-2024/
