The Reluctant Politician: Tun Dr Ismail and His Time

Ooi Kee Beng

Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore, 2006

ISBN 13978981230

338 pp RM55.00

Reading Ooi Kee Beng's biography of the late Tun Dr Ismail is akin to eating at a buffet in a cheap Chinese restaurant. The offering was generous and you gorged yourself. However, an hour later you were hungry again; worse you could not even recall what was so special about the menu. Then it dawned on you that the food tasted good simply because you were so darn hungry.

With the present pathetic state of leadership in Malaysia, there is a yearning for the kind of leaders like the late Ismail, men of strong convictions and who did not hesitate acting on them. Ooi quoted Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman who bore the wrath of Ismail's anger over Tunku's sudden policy change towards China. Ismail was so incensed that he tendered his resignation immediately. You would never see that kind of bravery among today's leaders; they are more adept at toadying and ingratiating themselves.