BOOK REVIEW | How do you review a political "memoir" that gives you little more than fleeting memories of one of the most significant periods of Malaysian history?
This was my main challenge in trying to form my opinion as an ordinary reader – not a member of the legal or political elite – in trying to capture the purpose of this book.
By no means am I trying to be disrespectful towards the author, former Dewan Rakyat speaker Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof, or the glowing pre-publication reviews of the book written by senior members of the legal fraternity, but one does wonder if the content flies past the heads of everyday readers like me.
The book begins promisingly enough; the writer joins a small group of personalities who released their memoirs in the past few years, such as Tommy Thomas, Marina Mahathir and Nazir Razak.
In 2018, the opposition won the general election, defeating BN's 60-year rule. It was a time when all of us Malaysians finally felt that change was real and would remain. The heady years between 2018 to 2020 were, of course, filled with drama and migraine-inducing politics (though the latter has gotten a lot worse post-2020), but hope and blind optimism hung in the air.
Parliament, Unexpected, promised the reader an insider's view on what makes Malaysian politics tick but falls short. As the writer said in chapter 8: "Being the perpetual optimist, with high hopes of parliamentary democracy in Malaysia, and since some time has passed, I prefer to reminisce about the best of times." Is that the right tack, though?
In a nutshell, I would say this book is a cursory memoir of a writer who spent a brief and memorable time in the said position. I have met Ariff before through his son, Lutfi Hakim, who flits in and out of Iman Research where I am, and found the writer to be calm in demeanour and yet quite intimidating to a person like myself.
I certainly was not expecting a Thomas tell-all, and neither a dramatic recount of Malaysian politics, but I was left (and still am) wondering if the writer had rather keep the juiciest secrets to himself out of respect for our Parliament and didn't realise that by not revealing them, had written a rather nondescript book on the what's what of Malaysian Parliament.
It's a shame as I believe he had so much more to say, and with his stature and experience, he didn't really have to "jaga hati orang" (be mindful of others' feelings). I am sure he had his reasons, and he is not compelled to spill everything (!), but to write a book, one has to dig into the deepest recesses of his or her ‘writerly’ soul and brave the fires ahead.
A 'heady' take on M’sian politics
However, writing and publishing a nonfiction book is not about popularity. It is about laying down the facts and the lay of the land and challenging readers to think beyond their little bubble in which they and their opinions reign supreme.
The chapter on reforms and the changing political culture (Chapter 9) is where the book truly began. This is the 'meat' of the book. There was a rhythm to it as well as the subsequent chapters, and one could sense the author's glee and joy as he reminisced his days as the Dewan Rakyat speaker.
The reader will learn about the reforms Pakatan Harapan had mooted, and the personalities behind the policies. Our Parliament then had been in existence for over 60 years but didn't have a strong committee system.
Chapter 9 is fascinating to a reader such as myself. Merakyatkan Parlimen - formulating a people's Parliament is the writer's take on making the Parliament accessible to the public, especially students, which would be a good way of introducing politics to them.
In these chapters, one sees the writer's ambition for Malaysia and its politics. The chapter on the Sheraton Move was an eye-opening and honest revelation of Ariff's disappointment at the circus Malaysia had become. What a heady chapter of an 'outsider's’ take on the ins and outs of our politics!
I admit I wanted more. I have reviewed slim books before, but they packed a punch. This left me… bereft of a read that could have been passionate, angry, loving, and humorous. I would want Ariff to do this: to not stop writing, as there's more to tell and more to educate Malaysians in the future on parliamentary and political processes.
Because Malaysia needs it. -Mkini
DINA ZAMAN is a writer and co-founder of Iman Research.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.
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