Saturday, November 26, 2022

Pukul Habis back story: Introducing the Mersing Line


Note: No spoilers in this Pukul Habis back story

Although 22 years separate these two books, the two publications share common ground in one aspect: Defending the Lion City (published in 2000) and Pukul Habis (out this month) both discuss the Mersing Line.

To some readers, the Mersing Line may be a concept that is new, unfamiliar or sensitive.

The term, however, is not new. It appeared at least 31 years ago in an article by Dr Tim Huxley titled Singapore and Malaysia: A Precarious Balance? (Pacific Review, Volume 4, Number 4, dated 1991)

That article postulated a wartime scenario where the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) invaded Malaysia and advanced through Johor, the state bordering Singapore, to establish a FEBA called the Mersing Line across the southern end of Peninsular Malaysia.

Nearly a decade later, Dr Huxley delved into the Mersing Line scenario in greater detail in his seminal work, Defending the Lion City.

Pukul Habis developed the idea in a fictional story of war in Malaysia and Singapore that features present-day Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) units and capabilities, with some fictional ones added to make the story interesting.

How did I write the story? With not a little difficulty - this was my first attempt at war fiction.

I drew inspiration from authors whose books described big battles in such an engaging way that people likened their narrative history to novels.

The Fall of Berlin 1945 by military historian Antony Beevor is one book that reads like a novel.

Cornelius Ryan's 1966 best seller, The Last Battle, probably served as the prototype for future books on the battle for Berlin as the late journalist structured the book like a novel.

Historian Roger Crowley was praised for a similar approach for his books on ancient warfare. I was blown away by his 2008 book, Empires of the Sea: The Siege of Malta, the Battle of Lepanto, and the Contest for the Center of the World, for its narrative history that was such a riveting page turner.

Journalist Abraham Rabinovich's 2005 best seller, The Yom Kippur War, is yet another book whose novel-like narrative brought the brutality of Middle Eastern combat into the hands of many enthralled readers.

These are just a fraction of books that made an impression on me as I sought to develop my own writing style in past years.


Having read such books, I had a eureka moment one day: If historical narratives about real battles could be written to read "like a novel", then would the reverse also work? Could a fictional battle be written in a way that was so realistic, so compelling to sound like a real battle?

I decided it was worth a try. It was a difficult journey, but many people guided me behind the scenes. 

Along the way, I corresponded with authors like Abraham several years ago to learn about how he writes and how his ideas are developed.

American author, Larry Bond, was another author who provided useful guidance as Pukul Habis evolved. Mr Bond was credited by the late military thriller author, Tom Clancy, for his part in bringing the best seller, Red Storm Rising, from a  raw idea of a NATO versus Warsaw Pact war into book form. I read that book when I was an NSF and have re-read it several times.

As I thought about the non fiction historical narratives that read like novels, I realised that their story arcs did not seem to have any central character. Instead, it was the armed forces or city that was the protagonist, with the people mentioned in the narrative serving like a supporting cast who brought the story to life.

That was the approach I used in Pukul Habis.

The 400-pages that contain more than 70,000 words is the result of all that effort.

I have tried my best and hope you all enjoy the fictional war story.



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.

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.

For readers elsewhere, please check the Amazon sites that serve your location. "Look Inside" function on some sites shows sample pages. "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. When ordering from Singapore, please click on the "Shipping to Singapore?" button. Ignore the "Temporarily out of stock" notice on the Amazon.com page.

Friday, November 25, 2022

Nice view of Malaysian IED jammer


Nice view of a special vehicle fitted with jamming equipment that was in the vanguard of the convoy for Malaysia's new Prime Minister.

The forest of pokey bits on the roof are intended to disrupt and degrade signals that could be used to trigger improvised explosive devices.

Thursday, November 24, 2022

Early bird price: Pukul Habis book


What an incredible reception to Pukul Habis: Total Wipeout, a fictional story of war in Malaysia and Singapore.

Thanks to strong support from many early birds, Pukul Habis has been ranked as Amazon Singapore's best selling book since its launch earlier this week.

Please take advantage of the early bird pricing before next week. Might review. If ordering in bulk, please do so in batches of five? Any orders larger than that aren't captured by the tracker that ranks the books.

Available from Amazon Singapore, and from Amazon markets in your country.

Order early for the holiday season☺

1 December 2022 update:

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

Wednesday, November 23, 2022

Pukul Habis books shipped out; reaches North American readers first

New York City, USA - First reported delivery
Thanks to Amazon's global supply chain, Pukul Habis has started reaching readers in North America! Here's a photo of the book in New York City Tuesday morning (22 Nov 2022).

And the one below shows the book in Canada yesterday afternoon - the reader reported that it was overcast and the sun went down early. He will take a photo outside later this week.

Canada

25 Nov 2022 update: Here is Pukul Habis experiencing the snow in Canada! I hope the stories will bring the reader to the stifling humidity of plantations in Johor, and the scorching openness of Federal highways as the action unfolds in the war story. Thank you Seb for the support. Enjoy the book! 


Sydney, Australia
Australia-based defence journalist and photographer, Roy Choo, brought his copy of Pukul Habis to see Sydney Harbour. 

I understand that Amazon boxes with the books should arrived in Malaysia and Singapore towards the end of next week. Someone in Singapore updated me that his delivery is due 1 Dec. A friend in Kuala Lumpur got his book via his Amazon UK account.

Ordering from Singapore? Get it from Amazon Singapore.

Have fun opening your box!

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


Tuesday, November 22, 2022

Pukul Habis back story: Why did you choose a Malay title for the book?

 



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.


If you are one of the early birds in Singapore or Malaysia who bought Pukul Habis, you should receive your copy of the war story in the first week of December - dates flagged by Amazon show deliveries around 3 December for those who ordered the book on Sunday 20 November 2022.

Thanks to your keen interest and support, Pukul Habis was Amazon Singapore's #1 Best Seller in Books (as of yesterday), #1 in New Releases and #1 in Movers and Shakers.

Get your copy from the Amazon sites in your respective countries, or use Amazon sites that ship to 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

We will continue engaging you in coming days via this blog, Kementah.blogspot.com, while your book finds its way to you via Amazon's global supply chain. In the meantime, we will share the Pukul Habis back story to help you know more about the book before it lands in your hands. We promise no spoilers. 

Why did you choose a Malay title for Pukul Habis?

The book title is arguably one of the most important touch points with potential readers. The Malay phrase, Pukul Habis, has always resonated with me ever since I heard it as a full-time National Serviceman (NSF) while serving with the Public Affairs Department (now MCO MINDEF) in MINDEF in 1991. I was then an NSF media relations assistant. I typed the press release that announced the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Open Mobilisation on the eve of National Day 1991 and accompanied the Media Relations Officer, the late Captain V. Mano, to the Open Mob at an armour camp. 

So I experienced and saw firsthand the tension during that period. I wrote about Pukul Habis in one of my previous commentaries for The Straits Times. It was titled "A Strong and Silent Keeper of the Peace" and you can find it here.

"Do you know what Pukul Habis means?" CPT Mano asked.

I shrugged and replied that I did not. My Malay back in 1991 was poor to non-existent.

"It doesn't mean you whack the fella until he's finished. It means you really whaaaack the fella," he explained, dragging out the word "whack". I remember him pounding his fist for emphasis.

And the name stuck. 

I knew, even back in 1991, that this would make a great name for a book - though back then, I had no ambitions to write one.

While speaking to people on military stuff years ago, I found that certain terms elicited a strong reaction from people - especially Singaporeans who had served with the SAF at some point in their lives.

One was Pukul Habis. The other was Mersing Line (which we will address this weekend in another back story).

You almost had to whisper the terms when speaking in public. And dropping these terms in mid conversation seemed to make people's hair stand, almost like a bomb went off.

Now, when you are writing a story, you want to look for words that can make an emotional connection with the reader. You try hard to make  them part of the action, describe battle planning and combat scenes that place them at the heart of the war zone. And as a writer, I looked for words, phrases and situations that would hopefully keep readers engaged.

Pukul Habis was one such term.

To me, it defies direct translation from Malay to English. Loosely translated, it can mean "total wipeout", "complete annihilation", "absolute obliteration". I think you get the picture?

But in my view, the English translation seems to lack the element of controlled violence and fury that Pukul Habis connotes. 

I read many war books - a mix of memoirs, non fiction battle reports and fictional stories - before I decided a fictional story of a Malaysia-Singapore war was absolutely fascinating and would be interesting enough to write about.

The book Samurai, which is the memoir by Japanese Second World War Ace Saburo Sakai, wouldn't be the same if it was titled "Japanese warrior".

The book Das Boot, the book by German author Lothar-Günther Buchheim about the U-boat war, would probably have less impact if it was titled "The Boat".

Coming back to Pukul Habis, one feedback I got from test audience members was that the book would look "like a western novel" if it was titled "Total Wipeout". There would be nothing to distinguish it online from the many, many books as readers browse through Amazon's vast trove of war fiction.

I set out to make the book distinctly Malaysian, with a Malaysian Armed Forces war machine on the cover, and a title that would leave readers with no doubt that the story they are about to discover is one of a kind, unique to this region, and hopefully worth their leisure reading time.

Hence, Pukul Habis.

I hope you all enjoy the story.

Sunday, November 20, 2022

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!

Monday, November 14, 2022

Book preview: Astros II rocket artillery

Eksesais Jengking Selatan means Exercise Southern Scorpion in the Malay language.

It is the name of an actual deployment exercise by the Malaysian Army's Briged Artileri Roket, which is a formation I met in Kuala Lumpur and Port Dickson during past Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) static displays.

Join gunners from Regiment 52 as the entire rocket artillery regiment moves south by convoy from their camp in the northern part of Peninsular Malaysia to deployment areas at the other end of the peninsula.

It is impossible to hide such road transits as people would inevitably see and film their movements in peacetime. Read about how the MAF leverages on social media as it telegraphs its deterrence posture as Jengking Selatan unfolds.

Gunners from Regiment 52 play a key role in the fictional story. Their regiment is featured in one nightime and two daytime action scenes as artillery, King of the Battlefield, makes its presence felt. How do they survive for so long? Find out in the book. 

Tangkas Gempur!

Please catch this Sunday's announcement at noon Singapore time (+8 GMT) as we share details on the book launch on this blog, kementah.blogspot.com.

Days to launch: 8 days (22 November 22). NO PRESALE.

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.

1 December 2022 update:

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

Sunday, November 13, 2022

Book preview: Honoring military women who defend Malaysia


If you're expecting the fictional war story in Pukul Habis to be fought mainly by a cast of male Malay Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) regulars, you're in for a disappointment.

The book showcases MAF women in many combat and combat support functions, highlighting the important role that women perform in defending Malaysia.

The suggestion for the author to consider including women in the war story came from a senior male Malay regular. And this request was happily acceded to as I had seen, firsthand over the years, the contributions of many women to the MAF.

As a dad with two young daughters, I am hoping the book would kindle their interest in military matters too. 

Read about a female company commander from Support Company, 501 Rejimen Askar Wataniah, as the weekend soldiers from the Territorial Army regiment fight off an armoured assault using Carl-Gustaf 84mm recoilless rifles.

Female characters also serve aboard the Royal Malaysian Navy's Tun Sharifah Rodziah sea base, with a film crew embedded with 5 Rejimen Askar Melayu Diraja (5 RAMD), and several more interesting functions such as cyber defence and satellite imagery analysts.

Follow the female characters from the MAF as they go into action on land, air, sea and in critical support functions.

You may also like these previews:
Royal Malaysian Navy SUBTICS submarine combat management system. Click here
Malaysian Army OTO Melara 105mm pack howitzer. Click here
Malaysian Army Anza and Royal Malaysian Navy Starstreak MANPADS. Click here
Royal Malaysian Air Force Sukhoi Su-30MKM. Click here

Expect more sneak previews of the book (no spoilers) from this blog, kementah.blogspot.com, in the coming days as we count down to the launch.

Days to launch: 9 days (22 November 22). NO PRESALE.

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.

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

Saturday, November 12, 2022

Exploiting the critical implementation weakness of kill boxes

Kill boxes can be established the moment hostilities are declared.

But kill boxes have one critical implementation weakness: It takes time to populate these patches of land and sky, demarcated in length, width and height as a “box” where military assets can hunt and kill their opponents (hence the name). How the opening minutes of a hot-war are orchestrated could therefore prove decisive to either side.

Every second counts. And both sides would be aware of this critical window.

Fighter aircraft - even those capable of supersonic speeds - will take time to reach their patrol areas. And if the kill box needs to cater for the possibility of dealing with the opponent’s long-range assets like rocket artillery, this would necessitate a longer transit to a kill box that could be overlaid on unsecured territory, say 80km to 100km from the peacetime border.

Rotary wing assets like attack helicopters and transport helicopters with commando teams would need even more time to arrive on station. And unlike fighters that can fly high and fast, attack and transport helos are likely to pass MANPADS SAM belts that could whittle down their number.

Slower still are the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The surveillance equipment on propellor-driven UAVs form a vital part of the “sensor” part in the sensor-to-shooter loop, as noted previously by this blog, kementah.blogspot.com. The effectiveness of active kill boxes cannot be optimised without the presence of these eyes in the sky or commando teams on the ground.

When fully deployed with assets that have been properly trained, organised, equipped, integrated and supported, kill boxes can be devastatingly effective. At least in theory…

During the 1991 US-led Operation Desert Storm, however, kill boxes which used military technology of that era to hunt for Iraqi Scud missile launchers did not find a single TEL. And kill box sensors like E-3 Sentry AWACS, E-8 Joint STARS, and reconnaissance satellites had the benefit of operating over desert terrain that was largely flat, open and with sparse cover. 

The implementation of kill boxes over contested terrain with thick jungle and vast plantation tracts is untested. The targets within a kill box would be hard to find, even with foliage penetration sensors. Surveillance assets are also liable to active and passive efforts at deceiving the sensor operators.

The concept of operations where intelligence assets in the air (i.e. UAVs) and boots on the ground (i.e. commando teams and/or military intelligence teams) can be first in, ready and waiting in an established kill box, is wishful and unrealistic. It works fine during scripted combined live-fire exercises. Try that during a period of tension before hostilities have been declared and it might constitute a casus beli.

And even after assets have been safely inserted and the kill box declared active, the steps needed to establish the kill chain where sensors see what they need to see before target handover to the shooters (fighters or artillery) will need time too. Even with well-trained and tightly-coordinated assets, kill chains are not instantaneous.

The time needed to complete a kill chain must be added to the time required to populate a kill box after H-hour is initiated. It would not be far-fetched to see defending forces have a time dividend of under an hour to marshal and deploy forces needed to generate and sustain a decisive response.

From the defender’s point of view, however, the opening gambit also brings many considerations that can complicate military command and control.

Shoot or don’t shoot? Commanders would obviously require authorisation to launch. More critically, commanders would need irrefutable proof that hostilities have indeed broken out. The pivot from period of tension to an all-out war is therefore complicated and subject to the fog of war that could delay, disrupt or degrade the decision-making process at higher HQ level.

Rocket artillery, once in the air, cannot be recalled unlike an air strike. And the state-of-the-art for contemporary systems precludes any option for command detonation that would see an outgoing rocket barrage self destruct. The decision to launch rocket artillery during an unthinkable scenario that has no historical precedent for the combatants involved is therefore fraught with uncertainty.  

One can imagine the tension in the command post as the battle staff watch the gathering storm. Large formations of strike aircraft and helos are hard to hide. Air defence radars would see them mass over their holding areas. And reports of cross border incursions before any weapons are released by intruding aircraft must be tempered with caution and restraint: Are such incursions merely posturing to test one’s defences or do they signal something more sinister, such as an all-out attack?

Command and control must also be intact and ready to initiate a response without delay - not easy when the enemy might aim to knock out one’s C2 assets in the opening gambit. 

One can expect orders to be relayed from the political leadership to military HQ, then to the formation that has operational control of rocket regiments, and thence to the individual batteries and fire units themselves.

With the clock ticking, steps that lead to smooth execution of the strategic intent would maximise the value of that precious time dividend.

The time dividend that exists before distant kill boxes are filled is a potential ace card, a one-time only advantage that disappears the moment assets are fully installed.

Astute commanders would aim to maximise efforts at detecting and destroying their opponent before that time dividend is gone.

Mengesan Memusnah.

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.

1 Dec 2022 update: The war story, Pukul Habis, explores the employment of kill boxes in fictional wartime scenarios. 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

Friday, November 11, 2022

Book preview: Royal Malaysian Air Force Sukhoi Su-30MKM

Cik Su (Miss Su) is the nickname Malaysians have given to the Sukhoi Su-30MKM multi-role fighter. 

Here she is all dressed up and ready to rumble with four Kh-31 Krypton missiles and wingtip pods that can be used for electronic warfare missions.

I was thrilled to see this configuration at the Singapore Airshow in February 2020. This was shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down travel and changed our lives.

This is the exact configuration you will read about in the book as the Royal Malaysian Air Force 12 Squadron teams up with F/A-18D Hornets from 18 Squadron to conduct a SEAD mission.

Before seeing Cik Su in person at the Singapore Airshow, I had yet to come across a photo of RMAF Sukhois armed in this way. So it was quite a special experience standing there and seeing how the scenario described in the book out of pure imagination come to life. The manuscript's combat scenarios had been written by that time, but it was nonetheless a memorable experience marvelling at Cik Su and speaking to her crew.

As with all combat scenarios, it is more than just point-and-shoot. 

Ducks are used before the Magnums fly.

Join the pilots and WSOs from 12 Squadron as Markas TUDM coordinates a response with the Malaysian Army's Briged Artileri Roket

You may also like these previews:
Royal Malaysian Navy SUBTICS submarine combat management system. Click here
Malaysian Army OTO Melara 105mm pack howitzer. Click here
Malaysian Army Anza and Royal Malaysian Navy Starstreak MANPADS. Click here

Expect more sneak previews of the book (no spoilers) from this blog, kementah.blogspot.com, in the coming days as we count down to the launch.

Days to launch: 11 days (22 November 22). NO PRESALE.

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.

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

Thursday, November 10, 2022

Book preview: Heartwarming feedback


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.

1 December 2022 update:
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


The most heartwarming feedback I received from the select group of test readers came from a senior official in Kuala Lumpur (KL) who suggested naming a character in the book after his daughter.

He had read my cover email to the draft. In it, I casually mentioned that I was open to suggestions for a name for one of the characters because the one in the draft manuscript didn't resonate with me - I chose it at random from a Malaysian news site.

After the KL official read the draft, he replied with the name you see in the image above. He then suggested some revisions to the manuscript for accuracy. I guess he liked what he saw?

Writing a fictional war story was a new experience for me. To develop the story, I had to populate the alternate reality with imaginary scenarios and people, name them, choose their ranks and bring these characters to life in a story arc where all the loose parts are somehow linked.

I had to think about how to start the book, how the story evolves and how to end it (i.e. conflict termination). And it had to be written so that readers with no clue about the structure and organisation of the Malaysian Armed Forces would be able to follow the story easily. At the same time, I had to think about the military nuts who expect some level of detail and realism in fight scenes, while avoiding loading the story with too many technical terms or crossing red lines (re: opsec). 

A tricky balance.

Nearly gave up... 😐

Am grateful to everyone who helped me press on, and who believed in the project long before the manuscript was even finished. In the end, I treated it like one long blog post and wrote a book which I myself would read.

When it was finished, the book had a word count of 70,000 and covered 400 pages. This page count does not include three maps, a Glossary with around 150 terms, a short Author's Note (two pages), a Dedication and the Epigraph with the motto from the Malaysian Army's Briged Artileri Roket.

This book is the longest and most complex piece of writing I have done. It includes a period of tension in the lead up to operations, as well as action that takes place on land, sea, air, cyberspace and in space. The last aspect on earth observation satellites, what they can see and their orbits was something new that I had to learn from European and US satellite tracking otakus (there are websites dedicated to this arcane hobby). 

Feedback from the test readers seems positive. 

Looking at the book, it seems to me that the key character isn't the military personnel or the units they come from. To me, the protagonist is the Malaysian Armed Forces and how it pivots from a period of tension into an unthinkable scenario. The people you will read about from the jenerals to the lain-lain pangkat (enlisted ranks) are, in my view, the supporting cast to the activities and operations executed by the MAF.

I am happy to see it done! Also somewhat nervous but getting more excited as we count down to its launch day.

Here's how it looks compared to Defending the Lion City, which is the book published by my university supervisor 22 years ago in the year 2000.
You may also like these previews:
Royal Malaysian Navy SUBTICS submarine combat management system. Click here
Malaysian Army OTO Melara 105mm pack howitzer. Click here
Malaysian Army Anza and Royal Malaysian Navy Starstreak MANPADS. Click here

Expect more sneak previews of the book (no spoilers) from this blog, kementah.blogspot.com, in the coming days as we count down to the launch.

Days to launch: 12 days (22 November 22). NO PRESALE.

Wednesday, November 9, 2022

Book preview: 361 Bateri Rejimen Artileri Diraja (Para) Anza and Royal Malaysian Navy Starstreak

Man-portable air defence systems (MANPADS) can be evaded if you keep your distance from the ground threat.

But doing so denies you access to contested airspace, and this may complicate air operations.

Fighter aircraft can stay out of MANPADS reach by flying high and maintaining lateral distance. But helicopters operate by necessity within the engagement envelope of low-level air defence systems. 

Air corridors can be sanitised to avoid known MANPADS concentrations. But what if you are in the lead helo tasked with opening and sanitising that air corridor? Who clears the ground threat for you?

The Anza and Starstreak are two types of Malaysian MANPADS that you can read about in the book. Both are designed to engage targets at low level, but use different guidance systems. Anza is a heat seeker while Starstreak is guided by lasers.

I have tried to give readers more than a simple point-and-shoot scenario. To do so, I looked at the kill probablity (Pk) for single shot Pk and multi shot engagements, thought about how such systems might be deployed, weapon effects (warhead size etc), and listened to tactical innovations that the operators shared. I spoke to actual missile operators during Malaysian Armed Forces open houses in Kuala Lumpur and Port Dickson, and defence companies at various air shows and the Defence Services Asia show in KL to learn more about these systems and to get a feel of the dummy rounds.

You can read about Malaysian air defence units like 361 Bateri Rejimen Artileri Diraja (Para), which uses the Anza, and Pasukan Pertahanan Udara (Air Defence Troop) from the Royal Malaysian Navy and its Starstreak missiles. These are actual MAF units but the MANPADS employment scenarios are, needless to say, purely imaginary. 

361 Bti RAD (Para) and PPU TLDM are ready for their fictional air defence mission. Are you ready to join them as they go into action?

You may also like these previews:
Royal Malaysian Navy SUBTICS submarine combat management system. Click here
Malaysian Army OTO Melara 105mm pack howitzer. Click here

Expect more sneak previews of the book (no spoilers) from this blog, kementah.blogspot.com, in the coming days as we count down to the launch.

Days to launch: 13 days (22 November 22). NO PRESALE.

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.

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

Tuesday, November 8, 2022

Book preview: Ribut Api 1 Rejimen Artileri Diraja (Para) 105mm Pack Howitzer

Ribut Api means "firestorm" in Malay.

In the book, the Malay term is used with "firestorm" in brackets for non-Malay speakers. 

I decided to go with the Malay term because Ribut Api connotes a sense of controlled violence and ferocity that the English translation seems to lack. Ribut Api is also explained in the extensive Glossary. So even if you do not speak Malay, you should be able to follow the story easily as you read about the Malaysian Armed Forces getting down to business.

Join gunners from the airborne-capable 1 Rejimen Artileri Diraja (Para) as they deploy their 105mm Oto Melara Pack Howitzers for a fire mission.

Now, there is one tactical scenario where Malaysian gunners would not face the threat from counter battery fire cued by weapon locating radars. Where would that be? Find out in the book.

Expect more sneak previews of the book (no spoilers) from this blog, kementah.blogspot.com, in the coming days as we count down to the launch.

Days to launch: 14 days (22 November 22). NO PRESALE.

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.

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