Ahmad said chapters six and seven of Thomas’ memoir contained excerpts that were slanderous and seditious.
“None of the claims are found to be true based on available historical facts. These claims contain seditious elements and the contents of this book possess ill and malicious intent that can spark disharmony among the races or create hatred and friction,” he said.
He said Thomas had implied that the riots of May 13, 1969 were part of Razak’s plan to seize power from then prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman.
“Thomas then said the reason that drove Razak to do so was when he realised he was not going to live long because of leukaemia,” Ahmad said, and alleged that Thomas had given the impression that Razak, then Selangor menteri besar Harun Idris and Umno had been behind the riots.
“The writer accused Razak of intentionally declaring a state of emergency and establishing a National Operations Council, with himself as director, giving him absolute power in politics by sidelining Parliament (because it was suspended) and dissolving the Cabinet.”
Ahmad said Thomas also gave the impression that Umno was directly involved in obtaining police and military intervention to support the conspiracy to seize power, adding that Thomas had claimed no investigation was ever conducted to determine the cause of the riots.
He then said Thomas accused the Special Branch of intruding into his school, the Victoria Institution in Kuala Lumpur, because they were displeased with the way the then headmaster ran the school.
Earlier today, Umno Youth called for a royal commission of inquiry into Thomas’ claims that he had a hand in the appointment of senior judges. The inquiry should also look into alleged interference by Dr Mahathir Mohamad in the judiciary, as claimed by Thomas.
Officials of the home ministry are scrutinising the contents of Thomas’ memoir, ‘My Story: Justice in the Wilderness’, and are preparing a report for the minister, Hamzah Zainudin. The minister has the power to ban the book.
Police have received seven police reports throughout the country over Thomas’ book where he has been accused of slander.
Deputy Inspector-General of Police Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani said the police have opened two investigation papers on the case, which will be submitted to the Attorney-General’s Chambers for further action.