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Anything but the Law: Essays on Politics & Economics
A collection of essays on Malaysian politics and economics by Tommy Thomas.
- GenresPolitics
334 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 10, 2016
Since there aren't any reviews yet, I felt the need to write a short review even though I am only halfway through it. The first 102 pages have been informational and enlightening. Allow me to elaborate why this is the case.
Tommy Thomas, the author, sheds light onto contemporary Malaysian politics and economic issues. His stance on most issues are often what most informed Malaysians know to be true, but cannot really argue for, in detail - he helps remedy this very deficiency by taking into account relevant history, economic facts and Malaysian's laws and legislations. It must be noted that he is pro-opposition; he is an advocate of the Bersih movement and very much detests against the incumbent government in Malaysia but this does not seem to be much a problem as he argues his case very thoroughly and more often, convincingly.
It has been an easy read so far - it is, after all, a compilation of essays - some of which he wrote for general media outlets and others more elaborated, in-depth papers. Regardless, the contents in his book are well-researched and most importantly, he takes a controversial stance on certain topics, a stance that is very much against the orthodox view in Malaysia.
Let me further clarify - there are certain topics/views that are endorsed by the incumbent Malaysian government, and since the incumbents have always been in power since Malaysia's independence, there is a strong monopoly on education and media - both of which help define the perception of Malaysians, me included. Tommy offers a different view; for instance, I, as a Malaysian, have been taught in high school that "Chin Peng", a very controversial figure who lead a Communist party, is a figure who ought to be detested. Thus, I grew up with the perception that Chin Peng was to be unappreciated, a perpetrator of crimes - especially since his party employed guerrilla tactics when it came to confrontation. Tommy offered a radically different view; one that has never occurred to me before - he argued that Chin Peng has actually contributed to the expedition of independence of Malaysia; without him, Malaysia would have probably achieved independence much later.
This is only one of many examples; there are many more that will make Malaysians realise what the incumbents have been sugar-coating, ignoring and suppressing; tactics they have been utilising to stay in power. I urge any Malaysian who is mildly interested in politics to read this book; be informed, take into account what he is arguing for, and finally, decide for yourself.
Tommy Thomas, the author, sheds light onto contemporary Malaysian politics and economic issues. His stance on most issues are often what most informed Malaysians know to be true, but cannot really argue for, in detail - he helps remedy this very deficiency by taking into account relevant history, economic facts and Malaysian's laws and legislations. It must be noted that he is pro-opposition; he is an advocate of the Bersih movement and very much detests against the incumbent government in Malaysia but this does not seem to be much a problem as he argues his case very thoroughly and more often, convincingly.
It has been an easy read so far - it is, after all, a compilation of essays - some of which he wrote for general media outlets and others more elaborated, in-depth papers. Regardless, the contents in his book are well-researched and most importantly, he takes a controversial stance on certain topics, a stance that is very much against the orthodox view in Malaysia.
Let me further clarify - there are certain topics/views that are endorsed by the incumbent Malaysian government, and since the incumbents have always been in power since Malaysia's independence, there is a strong monopoly on education and media - both of which help define the perception of Malaysians, me included. Tommy offers a different view; for instance, I, as a Malaysian, have been taught in high school that "Chin Peng", a very controversial figure who lead a Communist party, is a figure who ought to be detested. Thus, I grew up with the perception that Chin Peng was to be unappreciated, a perpetrator of crimes - especially since his party employed guerrilla tactics when it came to confrontation. Tommy offered a radically different view; one that has never occurred to me before - he argued that Chin Peng has actually contributed to the expedition of independence of Malaysia; without him, Malaysia would have probably achieved independence much later.
This is only one of many examples; there are many more that will make Malaysians realise what the incumbents have been sugar-coating, ignoring and suppressing; tactics they have been utilising to stay in power. I urge any Malaysian who is mildly interested in politics to read this book; be informed, take into account what he is arguing for, and finally, decide for yourself.
June 7, 2020
Constitutional law made easy. Highly recommended.
December 20, 2020
Kali pertama baca tulisan Tommy Thomas, ulasan yang komprehensif untuk setiap topik.
October 14, 2020
Anything but the law is a compilation of essays written by Tommy Thomas, a renowned Malaysian barrister and former Attorney General of Malaysia. The bulk of the book is about Malaysian politics and history whereas the rest are about international politics including the US invasion on Iraq, the 2008 GFC, global economics, etc.
This is a well-written book. The author's ability to tackle complex issues and describe them in such clarity and vigor requires a great deal of knowledge and passion.
I personally enjoyed the author's portrayal of our founding fathers, the thorny issues around special rights, the stories of Chin Peng and the MCP, controversial topics on several Malaysian political figures, our Federal Constitution on Islamic state & freedom of religion, the formation of Malaysia, the Social contract between the multi-racial peoples of our country and many more. On top of all, i also enjoyed the author's essays on international matters, in particularly the role of credit, debt and complex securities which led to the 2008 GFC, important questions about the US's invasion on Iraq, 9/11, nuclear power, etc. There are also many mentions that Malaysia's regulatory regime is world class and superior to the US.
Overall an exhilarating, informative and important book.
Some excerpts/quotes from the book:-
Power not only corrupts, it also breeds arrogance. (pg 24)
Racial differences were recognised, diversity was encourages, there was no pressure to integrate into one Malayan race. Thus, a united Malayan nation did not involve the sacrifice of any community of its culture or customs, Malaya was always to remain a plural society. (pg166)
The cardinal feature of constitutional government is that such a government has limited power because its political rulers are subordinated to enduring supreme law which the rulers themselves cannot repeal or abrogate. (pg 167)
The most far reaching lesson that ought to be learnt from the 2008 global crisis is that economic man is driven more by psychological factors than by rational considerations. He is ruled more by his heart than his mind; his emotion rather than cold mechanical calculations. It must be understood that economics and finance are part of the social sciences and that a mathematical formula is no substitute for old-fashioned credit risk analysis.( pg271)
Much of the mismanagement of Malaysia's economy is caused by excessive governmental intervention. Hence, if this crises proves beyond any doubt that the free market is absolutely unacceptable as a model, the Malaysian model proves that a command economy also has major drawbacks: crowding of private investment, nepotism, cronyism and corruption. (pg 301)
Remembering that the Malay peninsula was colonized half a millennium ago is one way to remind the post-independence generation of Malaysian to be grateful for Merdeka. It is critical to teach the present generation about the dangers of empire and colonialism so that we can celebrate what independence means and pay tribute to the people who fought for it. (pg315)
How does one justify such massive hiring of personnel from one race to manage national institutions where national policies are made in a nation of multiple communities that claims there are no classes of citizenship or nationality? (pg 326)
This is a well-written book. The author's ability to tackle complex issues and describe them in such clarity and vigor requires a great deal of knowledge and passion.
I personally enjoyed the author's portrayal of our founding fathers, the thorny issues around special rights, the stories of Chin Peng and the MCP, controversial topics on several Malaysian political figures, our Federal Constitution on Islamic state & freedom of religion, the formation of Malaysia, the Social contract between the multi-racial peoples of our country and many more. On top of all, i also enjoyed the author's essays on international matters, in particularly the role of credit, debt and complex securities which led to the 2008 GFC, important questions about the US's invasion on Iraq, 9/11, nuclear power, etc. There are also many mentions that Malaysia's regulatory regime is world class and superior to the US.
Overall an exhilarating, informative and important book.
Some excerpts/quotes from the book:-
Power not only corrupts, it also breeds arrogance. (pg 24)
Racial differences were recognised, diversity was encourages, there was no pressure to integrate into one Malayan race. Thus, a united Malayan nation did not involve the sacrifice of any community of its culture or customs, Malaya was always to remain a plural society. (pg166)
The cardinal feature of constitutional government is that such a government has limited power because its political rulers are subordinated to enduring supreme law which the rulers themselves cannot repeal or abrogate. (pg 167)
The most far reaching lesson that ought to be learnt from the 2008 global crisis is that economic man is driven more by psychological factors than by rational considerations. He is ruled more by his heart than his mind; his emotion rather than cold mechanical calculations. It must be understood that economics and finance are part of the social sciences and that a mathematical formula is no substitute for old-fashioned credit risk analysis.( pg271)
Much of the mismanagement of Malaysia's economy is caused by excessive governmental intervention. Hence, if this crises proves beyond any doubt that the free market is absolutely unacceptable as a model, the Malaysian model proves that a command economy also has major drawbacks: crowding of private investment, nepotism, cronyism and corruption. (pg 301)
Remembering that the Malay peninsula was colonized half a millennium ago is one way to remind the post-independence generation of Malaysian to be grateful for Merdeka. It is critical to teach the present generation about the dangers of empire and colonialism so that we can celebrate what independence means and pay tribute to the people who fought for it. (pg315)
How does one justify such massive hiring of personnel from one race to manage national institutions where national policies are made in a nation of multiple communities that claims there are no classes of citizenship or nationality? (pg 326)
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews