KUALA LUMPUR – To understand a person’s political leanings, one can look into their voting history.
In his latest book, My Story: Justice in the Wilderness, former attorney-general (AG) Tan Sri Tommy Thomas wrote that he voted for the Labour Party in the 1970 and 1974 United Kingdom general elections.
He said when he entered the University of Manchester, the student union comprised political parties from all shades of the political spectrum.
“Perhaps the loudest and most aggressive was the Socialist Society. I attended talks organised by many of these societies, but never joined any. I was ideologically left of centre,” Thomas said in his book.
He added that he never subscribed to communism, given Karl Marx was too dry and boring to read.
“It was too pedantic and seemed over-simplistic to resolve the problems of modern society. The law student in me, who cherished civil liberties and the accountability of the state to its citizens, could not subscribe to communist practice in the Soviet Union, China and Cuba. Eastern Europe was even in a more pitiable state.”
Thomas said the political leaning he supported was democratic socialism, which is socialism pursued via democratic means.
“Reform rather than revolution.”
However, the former AG does go on to praise the Communist Party of India (CPI) that secured power in the southern Indian state of Kerala.
He praised CPI over its ability to handle defeat at the ballot box and serving as opposition.
“But they are probably the only examples of a communist party taking power peacefully and through popular vote.” – The Vibes, January 31, 2021
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