Opinion: Why RCI on Tommy Thomas' book?

image is not available — Pic: Sinar Daily

By P Gunasegaram. Copyright January 2023

It strikes me (and I believe many others) as rather silly that this unity government headed by Pakatan Harapan, yes the same party that was in power when Tommy Thomas was attorney general, has decided to accede to Umno pressure and launch a Royal Commission of inquiry into Thomas’ book.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform, incidentally from Umno) Azalina Othman Said’s statement that the RCI will have a broader scope than the task force's (formed to investigate the book) recommendations simply does not cut the ice.

If this RCI is to make a broad recommendation on law reform, and lord knows that is really needed, why call it an RCI to investigate Thomas’ book? Why not a commission on law and institutional reform and simply mention that allegations and comments made in Thomas’ book will be taken into account? Why put the cart before the horse?

Azalina specifically mentioned that the cabinet has agreed to a proposal for the setting up of such an RCI. An RCI for a book? That is really too much, especially since Thomas was AG during the time when Harapan was in power from 2018-2020.

The announcement of the RCI comes too suspiciously close to the ongoing Umno general assembly where Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi can drum up support for an eventual challenge to his leadership. Has the cabinet intentionally or otherwise gifted Zahid a great leg up to retain his seat? He can now claim that he has succeeded in getting an RCI investigation of the book which follows upon former UMNO PM Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s task force to investigate the same.

Look at it this way. From the time that many Umno top officials were charged in court, the allegations they have made were that they were wrongly and maliciously prosecuted by Harapan, and of course the AG. Does not an RCI into Thomas’ book indicate to the masses that there may be truth to that, especially since a Harapan-led government is approving this inquisition… oops, inquiry?

Is this cabinet willing to see Thomas thrown to the dogs of public opinion to be torn apart and his reputation shred to pieces just because it is politically expedient - not to Harapan - but to Umno? What other things and people are we going to burn at the sacrificial altar to political expediency? Is there no end to madness?

Remember, if Thomas, at considerable risk to his future comfort, security, and well-being, as events have so clearly shown, had not had the courage, persistence, independence, and substance to have difficult cases prosecuted, Najib Abdul Razak might still be free. When it suited them, Harapan was happy with Thomas but not anymore apparently.

Lest we forget, there are a lot of things Thomas has done. Here are just a few more in addition to bringing Najib to book. If he had not had the courage to sue Goldman Sachs and ask for reparations, the government would not have received some RM20 billion in reparations, although some would consider that too low by negotiators who were appointed post the Sheraton move which saw Harapan’s ousting in 2020.

If Thomas had not taken action, none of the top political leaders in Umno would have been charged. The inexplicable withdrawal of many of these charges by the current attorney general’s office post-2020 warrants an RCI instead of the ridiculous one on Thomas’ book.

If not for quick action by him the luxury yacht “Equanimity” purchased by Najib’s co-conspirator Jho Low for about RM1 billion would still be in the hands of the criminals and sailing the high seas at their behest. If not for him working with Singapore and US criminal agencies, much of the story of 1MDB would not have been brought to court.

If RCIs are needed, here is a list of over half a dozen off the top of my head. There’s much more:

The needless spending by the Muhyiddin Yassin government of over RM600 billion and the potential bribes involved in RM92 billion of stimulus spending during Covid-19.
The extent of corruption in Malaysia. The cornerstone of PM Anwar Ibrahim’s policy going forward for Malaysia is fighting corruption. This should investigate corruption within investigative bodies too.
How 1MDB was possible, leading to over RM40 billion in direct and opportunity costs for Malaysia and bringing all responsible, not just Najib, to account.
The excesses and corruption at LTAT, the armed forces investment fund, with a view to get compensation and bringing culprits to book.
Ditto for the excesses at Tabung Haji, the pilgrims investment fund.
Ditto for the RM9 billion littoral combat ships contract.
Ditto for the many,many shady dealings at Felda, like others in this list, involving billions of ringgit.

With literally more than 101 other things to investigate, this unity government decides that the first RCI it will initiate is the one on Tommy Thomas’ book. How so very, unfortunate, and how damning of the Harapan-led cabinet!

Harapan and PM Anwar need to be extremely wary of pandering too much to the whims and fancies of a slippery, slithery Umno where poison and deceit lie at every turn. It is an extremely racist, corrupt, and discredited party which unfortunately they have had to sleep with because of circumstances.

If they don’t watch it and stray from the straight and narrow with that unlikely alliance with the rogues that they previously decried, then the future is not looking as bright as it should be for our country and people.

Anwar should always remember and keep to his pledge to fight corruption. Persecuting one man (who had the courage to initiate action, truly without fear or favour, and had the guts to write a frank and open book about his experiences) to enhance the withering political fortunes of a current ally is patently wrong and totally indefensible.

Let Umno decide, with all facts on hand, court cases disposed of without interference, and as little distortion of information as possible, who it wants to be their leaders and let Harapan work with them after that.

People are not so stupid as not to perceive what the real intention is in linking Thomas’ book to an RCI which is supposed to be a broader investigation into law reform itself - if it is indeed so, call the spade a spade and be done with it.

The rakyat are not so blind that they do not see. Give Malaysians more credit than that. GE15 has shown them to be far more sophisticated than politicians and others give them credit for.

P Gunasegaram, a former editor at online and print news publications, and head of equity research is an independent writer, analyst, and consultant.

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