THANKS AGAIN! Pukul Habis book talk

I had a great time yesterday at Singapore's first Military Hobby Fest where I shared how I wrote my first novel, Pukul Habis. I also revealed - for the first time to a public audience - how Easter eggs were embedded in the story as a salute to some defence matters that cannot be talked about openly.

If you were there, I hope this talk gave you a better understanding of why the battle scenes unfolded the way they did.

Yesterday's event was my second book talk. Big thanks to all who made time to support the event. Being a first time fiction author, I have found that I enjoy hearing readers share their views and what the book meant to them. I was also quite humbled to have contributed to Singapore's reading scene as a number of you shared that Pukul Habis was the first story book you had read in quite awhile  :-)

I thank SAFRA and all the volunteers who worked tirelessly over the past year to plan, organise and execute the event. I felt it had a good mix of military nuts, from the twin lawyers who paint warplanes and airliners, to the amateur film producers who make films on the SAF and Home Team, to the members of defence-related special interest groups on Facebook. I was pleased to meet you all.

And while visiting Books Kinokuniya at Ngee Ann City on Sunday evening, I was reminded how surreal it was seeing Pukul Habis on the Bestsellers shelf alongside established authors like the late Tom Clancy, John Grisham and Jeffrey Archer. 

The first print run of Pukul Habis was sold out in Singapore and Malaysia months ago. Back in 2023, the debut novel made it to the bestsellers listing in Singapore's Sunday Times for several weeks. 

I have reprinted a small number of copies with the intention of passing some to Tun (Dr) Mahathir Mohamad, former Prime Minister of Malaysia, and Lieutenant-General Winston Choo, former Chief of Defence Force of the Singapore Armed Forces. The story of an unthinkable war made such an impact on these prominent readers that both had agreed to write Forewords and this made a second edition a natural outcome. I passed the balance to Books Kinokuniya and once they're out, they're out. I have some copies for bulk buys with 20 books per box. Do email met at projectrocky@gmail.com if keen.

Pukul Habis book talk 3pm, 7 Sep 2024 Military Hobby Fest SAFRA Toa Payoh in Singapore

Dear All,
I will attend Singapore's first Military Hobby Fest at SAFRA Toa Payoh this Saturday. Will give a behind-the-scenes talk on Pukul Habis at 3pm and will address some of the hidden messages for the very first and possibly only time in front of a public audience. Happy to take questions if you've any. 

David

Meeting with Tun (Dr) Mahathir Mohamad

When I first saw this picture last November, I thought it was a pretty good photoshop.

Then a friend from Malaysia asked me to take a look at Tun (Dr) Mahathir Mohamad's Facebook page. And that was when I realised the image was real.

Last Friday (16 August'24), I had a private conversation with Tun, a former Prime Minister of Malaysia and the country's longest-serving PM, in his office in Kuala Lumpur. It was a four-eye meeting with just us two. No staff officers were present. 

I enjoyed the conversation on, well you guessed it, defence and foreign affairs. Specifically, matters pertaining to Malaysia and Singapore. 

Though I left journalism more than 15 years ago and while I hold no job title or office even remotely linked to Singapore's defence ecosystem, I am touched that the Malaysians have deemed it worthwhile to stay in contact and continue engaging me. The meeting with Tun crowns a long-standing relationship with friends in Malaysia, several of whom helped me - an outsider to Malaysia's defence scene - attain a level of understanding of the Malaysian Armed Forces that helped me write Pukul Habis, my first novel.

Tun shared that he read my book "from the start to the end". Tun shared which parts he found fascinating. And I learned later, from one of his senior aides, more of Tun's views on the fictional story of war between Malaysia and Singapore.

I think Tun is a fan.... I am humbled by this realisation. I thank Tun for his interest in the story and for making time to see me in person.

I am pleased to announce that Tun has written a Foreword for a revised edition of Pukul Habis. It touches on Tun's views on war and defence relations between Malaysia and Singapore.

The battle scenes in Pukul Habis apparently made an impression on Tun. The Foreword I received was measured, befitting of an elder statesman. Tun's views, placed on record in his Foreword, are something I did not expect to see. 

I thank Tun for reading the war story and arriving at the takeaway that is reflected in his message to readers.  

Btw, I did not send Tun a copy of the book. Neither did his aides get one for Tun. They do not know how Tun got a copy. To the mystery person who passed the book to Tun, a million thanks!

Pukul Habis print edition sold out at Books Kinokuniya in Malaysia and Singapore

Total sellout: Mohd Rozairi bin Marwan and Kelvin, from the Books Kinokuniya logistics team at the Ngee Ann City branch, were instrumental in keeping the shelves restocked with my first novel, Pukul Habis. Kino took a bet on the self-published title from a new author. The bookstore bought every copy printed in Singapore. The title is now sold out.

So this is a happy problem: The first edition of Pukul Habis, printed in Singapore by Times Printers, has sold out at Books Kinokuniya in Malaysia and Singapore. That first edition printed in Singapore is now a collectible because you won't find it at Kino anymore. 

For now, am looking at a reprint but nothing immediate. 

I have two prominent individuals who like the story and understand the deeper meaning and symbolism embedded in the plot. Both have kindly written to me, and I have their permission to use their letters as Forewords to the second edition.

My thanks to the Books Kinokuniya crew. Early last year, the Kino team encouraged me to print locally as the bookstore had received many enquiries about the book soon after it was launched on Amazon. Thank you Mohd Rozairi bin Marwan and Kelvin from the Kinokuniya logistics team for helping me along during those replenishment runs. I also extend my deepest appreciation to the Kino crew - Alethea, Najib, Kenny Chan and many others - for their guidance and support as I had never self-published before. Learned so much about the book trade. : )

Do stay tuned for details. Thanks to all who supported the first print run!

db

PUKUL HABIS
Books Kinokuniya branches in Singapore and Malaysia have sold out all their copies of Pukul Habis (ISBN 9789811861499). 

The book is still available from Amazon. Please check Amazon sites for your location. "Look Inside" function on some sites shows sample pages.

Singapore: https://bit.ly/3XJzInH

Australia: https://amzn.to/3ViaX0i

United Kingdom: https://amzn.to/3EZ6clA Look Inside

USA: https://amzn.to/3Ui3Eo1 Look Inside. When ordering from Singapore, click on the "Shipping to Singapore?" button. Ignore the "Temporarily out of stock" notice on the Amazon.com.

Wall Street Journal video on Singapore's defences

Yes, you might have seen a familiar face in this video.

Yes, I do look tired: The Wall Street Journal team interviewed me in January, and I had recently recovered from my second brush with COVID. Was down just after Christmas'23, cleared my ART within 5 days (compared to 11 days from my 1st COVID experience). But the breathlessness lingered and I stopped my regular 5k runs and stopped doing weights for awhile. Lost 3 kgs - which is quite a lot for an ectomorph (skinny build) - but have since regained 1kg.

Am delighted with the number of views and glad the video has given viewers, especially those in the United States, a glimpse of Singapore. Do help share with your network to nudge it past 1 million views. 😊

https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=qQQDugD0xZEUcwjE&v=LddXjew1V2Q&feature=youtu.be

Former Malaysian PM Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad with Pukul Habis

 

When a friend sent me this picture today, I first thought it was photoshopped. 

Really really pleased to see Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad, former Prime Minister of Malaysia and the federation's longest serving PM, with my book, Pukul Habis. Dr M was PM during the real Eksesais Pukul Habis airdrop in August 1991 - an event which inspired the title of my book - so seeing him with the fictional war story made my day. Hope Dr M finds it interesting!

PUKUL HABIS
Books Kinokuniya Singapore has stocked Pukul Habis (ISBN 9789811861499). Please visit its main store in Ngee Ann City or Bugis Junction, or check the Kinokuniya online store here.

If you are in Malaysia, get the book from Books Kinokuniya's store at Suria KLCC. Kino will also mail it to any location in Malaysia. Please click here for details. For readers elsewhere, please check Amazon sites for your location. "Look Inside" function on some sites shows sample pages.

Singapore: https://bit.ly/3XJzInH

Australia: https://amzn.to/3ViaX0i

United Kingdom: https://amzn.to/3EZ6clA Look Inside

USA: https://amzn.to/3Ui3Eo1 Look Inside. When ordering from Singapore, click on the "Shipping to Singapore?" button. Ignore the "Temporarily out of stock" notice on the Amazon.com page OR get it from Kino in Singapore/Malaysia while stocks last.

Singapore navy Endurance-class LST shows full load of landing craft

Republic of Singapore Navy tank landing ship, RSS Resolution, seen underway off the coast of Queensland, Australia, during Exercise Wallaby 2023. Of interest is the full load of fast landing craft, known as Fast Craft Equipment Personnel (FCEPs) on davits flanking Reso's superstructure. This is believed to be the first official photo showing an Endurance-class LST with its max load of FCEPs (assuming another five on the portside). Had to wait 25 years since the Endurance-class were commissioned in batches from 1998 to see this official photo of an LST with all FCEP davits filled.

With 10 FCEPs embarked and four larger Fast Craft Utility (FCU) landing craft in the LST welldock, this class of ship can land an infantry battalion plus support vehicles in a single wave. The large number of landing craft shortens exposure during the critical ship-to-shore phase of amphibious operations, thus reducing the window of vulnerability to enemy action. At time of commissioning, the Endurance-class could carry the most number of landing craft ton-for-ton compared to other LST classes. Senang Diri believes this record still stands.

There's something else that can be fitted to the LST that makes her special - a self-propelled pontoon that can be linked to form a floating platform. Maybe we wait another few years for the official photo? LOL

P.S. My book, Pukul Habis, has a fictional account of the LSTs in combat.

Pix: Ministry of Defence, Singapore