From the Shadow of the Rising Sun

This autobiography is dedicated to my late mother, who had defied all odds to ensure the survival of her young children through the brutal years of the Japanese Occupation of Malaya and beyond.

Had it not been for her sacrifices and determination, my siblings and I could not have emerged from the Shadow of the Rising Sun.

Many of the things I wrote here had never been told to anyone and I hoped this book would give readers a glimpse into our family and Malaysia’s past.

The autobiography is in two parts. Part I traces the trials and tribulations of the Francis family during the Japanese Occupation and the pre-Merdeka period while Part ll is about my career as a journalist covering the “Second lnsurgency” in Perak and South Thailand.

“I remember how I had to dash through security-sensitive areas to beat the curfew and meet the deadline for my stories in the days before mobile phones and laptops.

“I also recalled the excitement and danger I experienced during my frequent trips into areas known to be infested by communist insurgents, particularly in Betong, South Thailand, and visits to the security forces’ forward bases in the jungle from 1973 till the signing of the Peace Accord with the Communist Party of Malaysia (CPM) in 1989.”