Tommy Thomas, the lawyer who set in motion the landmark prosecution and ultimate imprisonment of an ex-prime minister for massive corruption, could be regarded as Malaysia’s most consequential attorney-general. But a new government probe into a book he published about his time as the nation’s top prosecutor is widely seen as a setback for good governance and the fight against graft.
Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob ordered an investigation into possible misconduct by Thomas, who served as attorney-general between 2018 and 2020, on September 30, instructing enforcement agencies to further probe various allegations made in his memoir, My Story: Justice In The Wilderness, which sparked a right-wing backlash after its publication last January.
More than 100 police reports were reportedly lodged after the book’s publication. The 500-plus-page memoir shed light on Thomas’ decisions that led to the charges leveled against ex-premier Najib Razak for his role in the multi-billion-dollar 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal, among other high-profile cases.
The former private lawyer-turned-government top counsel and public prosecutor was questioned by police about the book, but the Attorney-General’s Chambers did not press charges, nor was the memoir banned. It has since become a national best-seller. But that didn’t stop Ismail from forming a special task force last December to investigate the book and its various revelations and allegations.
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Nile Bowie is a journalist and correspondent with the Asia Times covering current affairs in Singapore and Malaysia. He can be reached at nilebowie@gmail.com.
