'This book impresses me beyond words. Here is a writer driven by passion for the deeds of brave soldiers. A must-read for all officers of the Malay Regiment.' -- Brig-Gen Dato Mohamed Arshad Raji (Ret'd).

It started with a question from the British colonial government: Could the Malays develop an effective modern fighting force?

So in 1933, a small batch of 25 Malay recruits were assigned to train with British officers in Port Dickson, Malaya: The 1st Experimental Company. The 'founding father' was Major George Bruce, a tall sporty decorated WW1 hero, with a huge scar on his cheek from the Battle of the Somme. The cross-cultural collaboration between British officers and Malay recruits proved successful, respecting local religion and practices, and developing the regiment’s DNA.

They soon impressed audiences locally and internationally with their drills and skills, dressed in dapper traditional sarong and songkoks, with ceremonial kris daggers at their sides. In 1935, they officially became The Malay Regiment.

With the outbreak of WW11 in Malaya in 1941, the hypothesis was fully tested in the heat of battle against crack Japanese troops, on the west coast of Singapore: Pasir Panjang Ridge, culminating in a prize title fight on Bukit Chandu. Against overwhelming odds — and some of the fiercest fighting in the entire campaign — the regiment stood their ground, bravely defending nearly to the last man in the case of some 1st Battalion companies. Homegrown heroes like Lt Adnan Saidi were forged there.

True to their motto: 'Ta'at dan Setia'. Loyal and true.

The answer to the British question was a resounding ‘Yes!’

This is the real story of the regiment told as never before, narrated by the author.

This book is for you if you are interested in: British Army in the Far East, Australia and Malaya WWII,

ANZACs in Singapore, Battle of Singapore books, Britain’s colonial regiments in Asia. Or just inspirational human stories.