JUST released last month, My Story: Justice in the Wilderness struck a raw nerve with many. Within days of it hitting the bookstand,, the memoir of former attorney-general Tommy Thomas had not only elicited criticism from both Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his adversary, Anwar Ibrahim, but also a police report from former attorney-general Mohamed Apandi Ali and the threat of a suit from another former prime minister Najib Razak.

Soon enough, the first print run was sold out. The negative publicity it received undoubtedly ensured its popularity. Accordingly, a reprint was in production less than two weeks after the title’s release.

A book rarely sells this fast in Malaysia, especially when it is a subjective account of the life story of someone who is not considered a popular figure by any standard.

When Malaysian Maverick: Mahathir Mohamad in Turbulent Times was published in 2009, not only was Dr Mahathir already one of the longest-serving prime ministers in the world, who was seen internationally as a  Third World champion and Islamic spokesman, but his authoritarian rule had also been dogged by scandal and crises.

More importantly, the biography was researched and written by Australian investigative journalist Barry Wain, who did not spare Dr Mahathir from criticism.

When Tom Wright and Bradley Hope wrote Billion Dollar Whale: The Man Who Fooled Wall Street, Hollywood and the World, their subject was the largest kleptocracy on the global scale, which had implicated some of the world’s biggest banks in multiple countries. It was more than sufficient to guarantee a worldwide readership. 

Thomas is none of these and yet his book sells.

If there is a common thread among his book and the two others, perhaps it is that many Malaysians are not satisfied with the accounts of scandalous events given by the government or politicians and are eager to hear the stories from alternative sources.

Often, what really happens within the cabinet is shielded from public scrutiny. The public have little means of learning the truth.

What we know depends on how much the government is willing to reveal. Unfortunately, as English novelist George Orwell once pointed out, political speech is very often used for concealing information and preventing thoughts, or to defend the indefensible.

If we find Orwell’s argument resonating, that is probably because it fits well with our experience of the deceit and distortion surrounding recent Malaysian politics, whether it is Najib’s explanation of the source of the RM2.6 billion in his private bank account, Anwar’s repeated claims of majority support from parliament, or Dr Mahathir’s justification for his resignation.

In the absence of verifiable facts, those who have concern for truth will not find their claims satisfactory.

Perhaps the reason for the impressive sales of Thomas’ book is that the author has hit the nail on the head. 

As much as it has been reviled, it has received the praise of scholars, a retired judge, prominent leaders of civil society and think-tanks, and political commentators for being a valuable source of first-hand insights into contemporary Malaysian politics.

As scholar Bridget Welsh observed, “With many of the controversies and trauma close to the surface, Thomas’ analysis will provoke reactions and stimulate public discussion… His account will not make friends – as he writes the truth as he sees it. The book however is a friend for those seeking understanding and truth in an increasingly contentious and complex society.”

On the other hand, the immediate negative reactions of implicated politicians and more than 100 police reports in response to the book are telling.

While we may have occasionally witnessed police reports being lodged en masse over contentious issues before, to see it happen to an autobiography within two weeks of its publication is however rare.

That Thomas’s book has received such a response implies he could have published what someone else does not want publishing.

Surely Malaysian media have never been immune from government control to instil caution on writers and publishers. In the past, we had seen laws being enforced to close down newspapers, jail journalists, and ban books, including the Malay version of The Origin of Species.

The Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984(1) has given the Home Ministry power with extremely broad discretion to ban books which it considers to be prejudicial to public order, morality, or security. Technically, it is possible to impose a ban on the distribution of Thomas’s book.

However, if there is something that we know about book banning, it will be that banning books would only intrigue the public further. And with the existence of the internet, the spread of the books via digital means is almost impossible to stop.

As far as I know, the police have not invoked the Printing Presses and Publication Act to date. However, Thomas will be investigated under Penal Code for defamation, Official Secrets Act, and Sedition Act.

Incidentally, information about the book on the publisher’s website can no longer be found. Will the book be eventually banned? Only time will tell.

Unfortunately, I have yet to read the memoir.  Information about its second print remains unknown to me.

Nonetheless, while the book may be inherently subjective or biased, its insider’s view will still have the value of offering details which can be cross referenced with other narratives, a framework that can help its reader to make sense of the events that had happened, and the opportunity for the society to engage in discourse and debate on what should have been.

Read it for yourself and make up your own mind.  Engage in debates with someone who has a different idea of how the country’s politics should be. But do not take it from politicians without a pinch of salt as they are more likely to conceal information or distort facts for self-gain rather than the public’s interest. – February 15, 2021.

* Chan Yit Fei is a founding member of Agora Society. He is a cellist and educator by profession, and a biotechnologist by training. He writes to learn and to think, and most importantly, to force himself to finish reading books that would otherwise not see much of the light of day.