Man of Malaysia

In this revealing sequel to his bestselling autobiography Son of Singapore, Tan Kok Seng finds himself in Malaysia as a British diplomat's chauffeur. While driving luminaries like author Han Suyin around, Tan falls in love with Heung, a servant girl with dark brown eyes. Despite parental objections, they marry and have a child in secret.

When he is laid off, Tan's comfortable life suddenly collapses. To support his family, he must take on a variety of jobs, including working as a soap salesman, egg seller and extra on a William Holden film, manoeuvring through unethical bosses, corrupt policemen and violent villagers. As much a timeless account of an enterprising spirit as a travelogue through 1960s Southeast Asia, Man of Malaysia entertains and inspires while telling of a life fully lived.

© 1974, 2013 by Tan Kok Seng. Published in paper format in Singapore by Epigram Books, recorded by Storyside 2019.