Chorus Of Punctured Egos

[superadmin]

The deluge of pompous outrage and ruffled feathers on display this week from amongst the cream of the KL establishment, accustomed as they are to flattery and fawning, has been quite something.

The cause? A memoir by the ex-AG giving his perspective on a life spent trying to serve justice in the country.

In quintessential Malaysian style, many of the unhappy individuals who felt their sense of superiority impugned by its pages were off to the police station within hours, much the way form five complains to teacher.

Others have been waiving civil threats about, trading in tens of millions naturally, given the high value of the reputation of Datuks and the like (particularly from UMNO).

By the close of the week a police spokesmen confirmed to journalists the receipt of no less than seven ‘criminal complaints’ saying the force had referred two of them to Mr Thomas’s successor, who himself has reason resent the widespread criticism that he has failed to fill those shoes over the past few months.

The Home Ministry, headed by the multiple turncoat and political jumping frog, Hamzah Zainuddin, has meanwhile leaked to enquiring journalists there is a prospect the book will be banned …. for reasons as yet unclear, but in BN/PN Malaysia it could be anything.

As books responded by flying off the shelves (of course) others have wondered how so many of these injured folk managed to get through the weighty tomb so swiftly?

Sarawak Report itself adopted the principle of omitting an index in circumstances such as these, which it is suspected might deter many who are less diligent readers than they are complainers from getting round to it. Perhaps Thomas should have followed suit.

The point being, how many of these folk actually stopped to think before they drew loud attention to the perceived insults in a book, which is itself written calmly, dispassionately and with a clear sincerity of opinion on events taken part in?  Opinions which any writer has a right to hold.

Or is it that these elite fellows are simply so used to abusing wealth and power that they intend to do Thomas damage whether or not they have a leg to stand on?

Particularly intriguing has been the tetchy complaint from descendants of Tun Abdul Razak, claiming the family honour has been besmirched by Thomas’s historical assessment of his role in the tragic events of 1969.


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