80th Anniversary of George Orwell’s Animal Farm
“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”
By Rosli Khan
It’s rare these days to find schools that still teach English literature.
When my teenage daughter recently brought home George Orwell’s Animal Farm, it
reminded me why this slim novel remains one of the most devastating critiques of
politics ever written - and why it still matters for Malaysia today.
I first read the book in the late 1970s. Back then, I didn’t fully grasp its depth. But
rereading it now, the parallels with our political reality are striking.
Published in 1945, Animal Farm was initially seen as Orwell’s satirical attack on Stalinist
Russia. Yet time has shown its message to be far broader.
Wherever human rights, freedom and equality are manipulated under the guise of noble causes, the characters of Snowball, Napoleon and Squealer come alive again.
The Pigs Among Us
Napoleon, the cunning and power-hungry pig, rewrites the farm’s rules to serve himself.
His rise is marked by lies, purges and backstabbing - eerily familiar to anyone who has watched leaders who once fought for reform slowly become the very elites they once opposed.
Snowball, the idealist who dreams big but is demonised and driven out, recalls political
figures in Malaysia who, after pushing progressive ideas, are cast aside as threats.
Squealer, the propaganda master, needs no introduction.
Malaysia has had no shortage of spin doctors, whether in mainstream media or social media, twisting facts to justify the unjustifiable.
And then there are Napoleon’s nine dogs - his enforcers of fear and silence. Again,
disturbingly familiar.
Broken Promises
The real tragedy of Orwell’s tale lies in how ideals are betrayed. The commandments of
Animalism are rewritten until they mean nothing.
In Malaysia, too, we have seen coalitions abandon the principles of justice, democracy
and accountability the moment power comes within reach.
From promises of reform to the reality of backroom deals, the cycle repeats.
And like the animals on the farm, the rakyat find themselves trapped in a system where
the more things change, the more they stay the same - or worse.
Why Students Must Read Orwell
This is precisely why Animal Farm should be part of Malaysia’s literature syllabus.
Beyond its storytelling brilliance, it is a manual for critical thinking. It teaches us how
power works, how truth is twisted, and how ideals are betrayed.
If our students are encouraged to read and analyse such works, they will be better
equipped to question authority, resist manipulation, and demand better from those
who govern them.
The real question isn’t whether Orwell’s pigs resemble our politicians.
The real question is: how long will Malaysians allow the rules to be rewritten, while the pigs stand tall on two legs and the rest of us remain in the barn, waiting?
Rosli Khan - 17th August 2025.
This piece was written on the 80th Anniversary of Animal Farm publication.
