Here is one way the phrase has been applied
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said he had addressed the Pardons Board (while serving as federal territories minister), and, recently, the current king, about the former premier Najib Abdul Razak’s “services unto the nation”.
That troubled me quite a bit and got me thinking.
What does ‘service to the nation’ mean?
Once appointed to office, politicians enjoy many privileges: a huge salary, free vehicles, personal guards and police escorts. They lavish themselves with the three “Ps” - princely titles, high positions and pensions.
Then, as it is increasingly the case, the politician is...