A mother’s love knows no bounds.
Under the Malaccan Sun: A Malaysian Childhood by CP Bok (published 2025) will appeal to readers who grew up in Malaysia in the 1960s and 1970s.
In the chapters of this book, Bok had set out his recollections of carefree days spent collecting stamps and the games he played then, like guli, bamboo shotgun, lastik, fighting spiders, and catching river fish.
He also recollects hobbies like reading Lau Fu Tze and comic books. He talks of going to the cinema and days spent scouting.
His narration of the idyllic days of living in his Kampung Sungai Udang will surely bring sad and bittersweet memories to those of us who miss the slower pace of life back in the 1960s and 70s in Malaysia.
Bok wrote his memoirs in vignette form as therapy to deal with his immense sadness on losing his Ah Tok, the name his siblings and he used for their mom, based on the advice of a medium from their village temple.
He had migrated to the US after school to search for a better life. His Ah Tok will not be there when he makes his annual trip home to Malacca in the future.
All of us who dearly love our parents will inevitably pass through this sad stage of life. This book is a good reminder to spend more time with our parents when they are still around.
LWH, 4 Aug 2025