James Gomez is no stranger to media attention, finding himself in the spotlight when he ran for a place on the Student's Union during his political science undergraduate days at the National University of Singapore. "I was dubbed a 'student activist' and the press came to the hustings and followed my campaign," he says proudly. "I don't quite know what they thought I was going to do," he laughs.
Ten years on, James has since gained an MA in Politics from the University of Essex and is currently in the news once again for his book, 'Self-Censorship: Singapore's Shame,' which was launched in November 1999. "It was time for someone to pin-point the phenomena, but no one really addressed the nature of it." The book is selling well, and two of his earliest orders came from government ministries eager to read this controversial sounding publication. It has reached a broad spectrum of Singapore society, and James has even received fan mail!
"Totally Singaporean," James Gomez describes himself as a "political love-child" who gained an awareness at an early age from his father Thomas, who was very active in the Singapore Merchant and Mercantile Workers Union, and to whom James dedicates his book. He has fond memories of his formative years at St Anthony Boy's School where he sang in the school choir. He still plays the guitar, and has been known to do a mean number or two at Bernie's on the East Coast.
With his disarming charm and lively dress sense, Gomez is not necessarily how on might expect a political commentator and academic to be, but he shies away from being labelled as such, preferring to describe himself as a "political educator." He is pursuing his doctorate at SOAS, the School of Oriental and African Studies, in London - a project that is currently on hold. "Many people expect that my PhD should be the most important thing in my life, but with so many things that I want to achieve, I have had to take time out from those studies."
James is currently on a month long tour of Australia and New Zealand where is promoting his book. Taking in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Canberra and Auckland, Gomez is speaking at Universities and liaising with Singaporean Students' Societies. Later in the year, he expects to do something similar in Malaysia, and he is already working on his second book 'Memoirs of a Student Activist - the other Singapore Story'.
Has he had much trouble persuading stores to stock his book? "Quite a few advanced sales were arranged via the Internet, on the website: www.politics21.mainpage.net and through the Think Centre, which is an independent political research initiative here in Singapore. I am extremely grateful to Select Bookstore in Tanglin Shopping Centre, for its initial support. It is known for its range of interesting and thought provoking titles."
There is a certain irony that some shops have censored themselves in choosing not to stock his book, but most mainstream stores have Gomez's debut offering on their shelves, and he has been welcomed for radio and television interviews as well as being featured in the national press. "The phrase 'self-censorship' is evoked more frequently now," smiles James, "and people are more aware that this is not necessarily being imposed from above, but is a conformity from within. I want people to understand that politics is not confined to what happens in parliament or within government; everyday life is politics too."
With his straightforward and no-nonsense approach, is Gomez considering entering the political arena? "Who knows? As I said, there are so many things I want to do, I'd like to see Think Centre continue to flourish, and more forums for open discussion. If Singapore is to become a regional hub for the arts and writing, self-censorship should be addressed." Gomez sees Singapore Writers' week later in the year as an ideal opportunity for discussion and with his book having paved the way it will be interesting to see what happens.
Gomez is on the lookout for collaborative opportunities with the various communities in Singapore and beyond, and is an accomplised speaker and commmentator on a range of Asian issues. He can be reached at jamesgomez@hotmail.com
Self-Censorship, by James Gomez, is published by Think Centre and is available at Select, MPH, Borders, Kinokuniya and WHSmith at the airport among others. The website is http://www.thinkcentre.org/.
