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!