I must declare at the outset that I have not read Tan Sri Tommy Thomas' memoir, missing out on what is, given the responses and reactions, presumably a page-turner. However, it's a preference of mine not to run to the latest Avengers movie or smartphone, but instead to wait for the hype to die down.

It is often the case that once the dust has settled, a better, clearer picture awaits us. In the case of Thomas' book, when all of the justice in the wild and such that he wrote about have been discussed and dissected, I can then perhaps one day enjoy it for its literary nous. It is on my to-do list, for sure.

Almost all authorised biographies are self-serving in nature, but that in itself is no reason for avoiding them. Incidentally, biographies tend to elicit more than what the authors intended to, as they, like us, are all creatures of ego, desire and need, and in pages and pages that tell the tales of their lives, the astute readers can probably see the true selves revealed.

Biographies are also not about telling warts and all; at times they are selections of the authors' greatest hits. That is fine, as we do that, too; in our daily conversations, we extensively edit our words to make us look good.

Unlike biographies of pop stars or footballers, books by the likes of Thomas are probably less of an ego trip, but aim to offer us a rarefied view of events that we are not privy to. He was an insider in the most exclusive of clubs and of course we would care to read his book, especially if he was spilling stuff.

I can only hypothesise Thomas' intention in writing the book, which is to litigate his life's work, and by extension his reputation, in the court of public opinion. Presumably, Thomas put together facts, suppositions and theories into narratives to present his take on a case, an event or a time in the nation's history.

Regardless, I personally believe he is doing something that we should all support — people who have left high office should put something to paper and share their experiences with us.

Aside from the inevitable ego-stroking, they should be free, forthcoming and enlighten us about the ways of the world. They should, however, not be too free to divulge state secrets or to insinuate nefarious intentions in others, but even if they were to indulge in that, there are recourses in the laws of the land for the aggrieved.

While the Internet, for instance, is filled with stories and theories, none has the weight and gravitas of a former attorney-general discussing the Malaysian judicial and political scenes.

I would think a book is also an academic pursuit in its pure form as it has someone putting things on paper for others to judge — to challenge or support theories; analyse and dissect suppositions and inferences; and, junk or uphold conclusions.

The primary objective of an academic exercise is to stimulate debate and discussion, and is less about giving the thumbs up or down to an idea or theory. Even faulty ideas have the benefit of deepening the pool of knowledge.

As per academia, Thomas' detractors have challenged some of his narratives and conclusions and pointed out the book's weakness, such as that while it rode the moral high horse on some issues, it was nevertheless gun-shy in naming and shaming others. For instance, it has been suggested that his book is mute on the handling of corruption or allegations of sexual misconduct involving some politicians.

Thomas' book is a novelty not just because few people write, fewer still write into controversy. People who are angry at the book will still be angry, and those who support him will not change their minds no matter how much fault can be assigned to his retelling of events.

Anyway, one cannot dismiss a book or an idea by merely shouting at it. People who feel wronged must make the effort to put their objections on record, correct the perception and put out their side of the story. They can write their own books, for instance, or else they cannot fault future generations, when looking back at this period of the nation's history, for taking Thomas' words alone on issues he brought up in his book.

If it is erroneous, libellous or defamatory, legal remedies can be sought, which are also a way to influence the narratives of events. Thomas will have to stand by his words. A book or a theory can only be brought down by more ideas or more books.

Thomas' book has garnered responses from some of those named, and as a result, we are getting to know more, for instance, of what happened in the last few years than we did before. Some others are taking the legal route to challenge some of the contents of his book, and for better or for worse, we will get to know more, too, about events in the country, or about Thomas.

Of course, Thomas' book is self-serving as that is the nature of authorised biographies. Even if one is not too keen on the contents of his book, he deserves to be recognised for making an effort to add to the nation's body of work.

There are even suggestions to ban the book, which I think will not only make the Home Ministry look bad in this day and age, but can also make the book more popular.

On a more practical reason, a banning is redundant as the book is already being sold and has been widely shared, too, albeit illegally, over social media. Almost anyone who wants it has or can get his hands on it. Also, all the salacious, gossipy stuff is already out.

It is more interesting, and productive, to see the responses, fallouts and consequences of his words.

zainulisa@gmail.com

The writer, a former NSTP group managing editor, is now a social media adviser

https://www.nst.com.my/opinion/columnists/2021/02/664257/novelty-thomas-book