Will a PhD Make You a Good Politician?

 

Many of our politicians today have a PhD, but does this make them better politicians? Many of them are not academics. But then politics is not a scholastic affair. It’s an art of compromise where politicians must work within real-world constraints. Academic or textbook theories may not really work in the world of politics. 

The mindset that has besieged Malaysians for so long is that politicians with impressive academic titles can become better politicians. Some politicians may even go all out to have academic titles attached to their names to convince the masses that they are “obnoxiously clever”. And some of these titles are purchased from paper mills.

 

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In politics, being charismatic matters more than academic titles. Many academics who went into politics have failed as most of them have been too textbook-oriented in their approach to the unpredictable economic and social turbulence engulfing the world.  Many academics are usually obstinately inflexible when proposing solutions or formulas to these quandaries. For that matter, they are usually too idealistic and always would want things to be done their way. They keep to their ideals and seldom would want to compromise. This attribute makes it hard for them to become flexible in politics, what more to become team players. 

Malaysians should start shedding the perception that those with ‘high’ qualifications can become effective political leaders. In fact, it is also true in the corporate world. Not many do well with a PhD. Many corporate or political leaders of the past or even in the present never had a PhD and were not even university educated. 

A PhD only reflects research and ability into a single area of knowledge and specialisation. A PhD holder in one area may know little about other areas of knowledge. To become a politician, a person must be rhetorically convincing even though it may only carry little substance. Ask Trump. The person must first have the political appeal and be willing to work for the people and accept human frailties in life. A good politician must be patient and be willing to accept criticism and defeat, as he has now become a public figure. Unlike a politician, an academic would not tolerate off-putting criticism and does not accept dim-witted comments just like what often happens in our local political scene. 

Politics at a certain level and in some illiterate societies is all about struggling to gain power, manipulation, and convincing people with promises. A true academic will not resort to such undignified behaviour. 

PhD holders who have proven themselves in their areas of expertise in the real world are usually roped into politics in a literate and developed society. They make good workers, but this is limited to the level of getting things executed at the highest level but not going down to the grassroots to talk about what politics is all about. In fact, in a literate and developed society, the people need not have to be convinced by political rhetoric and promises. They just want to see things delivered and therefore they seek leaders who are down to earth and speak to them plainly irrespective of their academic titles. 

A politician is not judged by their academic qualifications but by their execution. Academic qualifications will not help without the tangible ability to deliver on socio-economic reforms, infrastructure, and constituent welfare. The masses would want political figures who have ideas that are realistic, pragmatic, and that they are able to do a better check-and-balance duty in a healthy democracy. 

Reference:

Having a PhD doesn’t make you a good politician, Moaz Nair, FMT, 14 June 2026