The Reluctant Politican - Tun Dr Ismail and His Time
This is the long-awaited biography of Malaysia's powerful Home Affairs Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Tun Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman, who passed away of a heart attack on 2 August 1973. It is based on his private papers and on numerous interviews with his relatives and with people who knew him well, including Ghafar Baba, Musa Hitam, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, Robert Kuok, Lee Kuan Yew and Ghazalie Shafie.
New perspectives are provided about the struggle for independence, Malaysia's relationship with Singapore, the origins of Southeast Asian regionalism, the internal conflicts of the ruling party UMNO, MCA-UMNO ties, the fatal illness of Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, the May 13 riots, and the New Economic Policy. This book contains not only new facts about Malaysian and Singaporean history, but also insights into the processes of decolonization and nation building.
Finally, I've finished reading this book. To my surprise, I learned a lot about Malaysia's road to independence. Unfortunately, Tun Dr Ismail never made it to the top. Nevertheless, he is truly a hero who was lost in time. The history of him should be made public and all politician should take this man's principal as an example...
He was the one who brought Malaysia to the world but sadly this unsung hero was only recognized as TTDI to an average Malaysian.
If he was made PM, I wonder what will happen to Mahathir....
Another issue that was highlighted is how powerful individuals from different races be it Malay, Chinese and Indian contributed their time and energy in achieving Independence. This act is the main point to be remembered in celebrating our National Day. We are all Malaysian. We deserve to be here. Until our last breath...
