Pukul Habis backstory: Challenges in writing about Malay royalty

Chapter 17, titled “The Sultan”, was a challenging yet rewarding chapter to write for Pukul Habis. I learned so much about Johor royalty and their palaces. I felt I had to include Johor royalty for the war story to be complete and more realistic.

The book by Imperial Japanese Army Colonel Tsuji on the conquest of Singapore was an early source of inspiration. Tsuji wrote about Istana Hijau (Green Palace) and when I looked it up, I really wanted to weave this picturesque and historical palace into the story.

During WW2, Japanese commanders used Istana Hijau as an observation post when they launched their assault on Singapore.

While I knew I wanted to feature the palace, I had never been there. So I searched the internet for more information on the Istana, especially pictures of its interior. To get a better feel of what's inside, I spoke to people who had been there for official visits.

And even after I learned enough to write about the Istana, I faced a major challenge: Malaysian friends advised against dialogue involving HRH the Sultan. To bring readers to the Istana without quoting HRH the Sultan in fictional conversation, I tried a different way to describe the tense talks. Malaysian test readers gave positive feedback. They loved the draft chapter as it accorded respect to Johor royalty, while bringing readers to the heart of the action in the royal court.

Malaysian test readers also suggested I mention Majlis Raja-Raja (Conference of Rulers). And so I did.
Mentioning the Conference of Rulers placed the due consideration from Malay sultans right up there with political decision makers in various imaginary scenarios. These included the request by the Malaysian Army to use rocket artillery against targets on Malaysian soil, and discussions at conflict termination.

Many places in Johor are mentioned. Do visit when you can!

Related posts:

Special video on the 35th Battalion, Singapore Combat Engineers. Click here 

First book signing at Kino Singapore. Click here

Why Pukul Habis was not written from a Singaporean perspective. Click here

Pukul Habis: Author's Note. Click here

Pukul Habis: Full text of Prologue. Click here

Why does the English language novel, Pukul Habis, have a Malay title? Click here

Please note:
Books Kinokuniya in 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. The title is also available from Kinokuniya Malaysia. Please enquire with the KLCC store. First few shipments sold out quickly - but you can leave you name with Kino Malaysia KLCC's waiting list. Thanks much!

For readers elsewhere, please check the 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

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

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