Pukul Habis (Total Wipeout) book trailer

11 March 2023 update: Books Kinokuniya in Singapore has stocked Pukul Habis. Please visit its main store in Ngee Ann City or Bugis Junction, or check the Kinokuniya online store here. The title should be available via Kinokuniya Malaysia soon. Please enquire with the KL store.

7:00 PM update 20 Nov 2022: Pukul Habis ranked #1 Best Seller on Amazon's War Story Fiction listing.

Am pleased to share the trailer for Pukul Habis, a fictional story of war in Malaysia and Singapore. Pukul Habis will be out on Amazon on 22 November 2022 via these links (some are already "live", with sample pages ready for your viewing via the Look Inside function):

1 Dec 2022 update: Now available from Amazon sites that serve your location. "Look Inside" function on some sites shows sample pages.

Singapore: https://bit.ly/3XJzInH

Australia: https://amzn.to/3ViaX0i

Canada: https://amzn.to/3VkjqQP Look Inside

France: https://amzn.to/3uenBS5 Look Inside

Germany: https://amzn.to/3XLcJc0 Look Inside

Japan: https://amzn.to/3gS2Loz Look Inside

Spain: https://amzn.to/3OSfi7S

Sweden: https://bit.ly/3GWq7UI

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

USA: https://amzn.to/3Ui3Eo1 Look Inside

Writing a book is difficult work.

Writing a book in Singapore on how the city-state might react in an all-out war with neighbouring Malaysia stirs up various considerations and circumstances which are not conducive to the writing process.

Despite the challenges, I am pleased to share that my first novel, Pukul Habis (Malay for Total Wipeout) will be out on Amazon on 22 November 2022. With more than 70,000 words covering 400 pages, this is the longest and most complex piece of writing I have attempted. The book also contains three specially commissioned maps and a customised book cover.

It is unusual - some would say unprecedented? - for a Singaporean writer to publish a book that showcases the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) with the level of detail with which Pukul Habis embraces the delicate subject.

I am thankful to the many people and organisations who helped me understand the MAF better and develop a credible storyline. It was difficult figuring out how to start the story. The hardest part was writing about how the war ends - and filling the plot in between with scenarios that one might reasonably expect from a Malaysia-Singapore clash of arms.

Those of you who have been following my writing over the years would know that my comfort zone lies with writing about the Singapore Armed Forces. Stepping outside this comfort zone to examine a fictional war story from the MAF's perspective was somewhat of a challenge. The learning curve was steep. Trust had to be built up.

To my surprise and relief, I found many helping hands willing to engage from across the Causeway. A big thank you to all who walked this journey with me, and who believed in this writing project long before the book was finished. 

The creative process of finding time and inspiration to write is never easy. Those of us who have struggled with essays at school or long reports at work would understand. And it was hard resolving the circumstances and considerations that come with writing a story that touches on Singapore's defence apparatus. 

To be frank, I nearly gave up. But the encouragement and friendship helped sustain me on this journey.

I hope you will find Pukul Habis an interesting and informative read, and a worthwhile distraction from daily life. Thank you all!