Confessions of an Old Boy: The Dato' Hamid Adventures

by Kam Raslan

Dato' Hamid The Old Boy and civil servant who's been everywhere and seen it all (even though he never wanted to). Here he 'spills the beans' on his adventures dating back to the 1940s, from Kuala Lumpur to Monte Carlo, Los Angeles to Algiers, London to Temerloh Rest House and much more. Along the way, Dato' Hamid tussles with a beautiful seductress-cum-diamond thief in Switzerland; is corrupted by a ruthlessly ambitious Malaysian banker in London;and helps solve the murder of a billionaire businessman in an isolated mansion on the east coast. And all the time he wishes he were back at home tending his orchids and nursing his favourite cognac. Shameless, exciting and funny, Dato' Hamid's life and adventures chart the financial, political and amorous relationships that have made Malaysia what it is today. You ll never meet anyone quite like Dato' Hamid, but you'll know him.

259 pages, Paperback

First published February 25, 2007

Reviews

[Ary アリ · Rating 3 out of 5]

The tale of Datuk Hamid, a previledged Malay civil servant and an ex-MCKK, is told in 6 uneven and unrelated chapters. Along with other interesting characters, the Wife, Rasyid and Hamzah, Datuk Hamid have had a series of unfortunate, luck and adventures in the span of 50 years. The Wife appears as the stronger character with her mysterious yet charming persona, like the Hermione-Ron pair.

Interesting life Datuk Hamid had, if any of it was true. A life I’m not familiar with and can never imagine to be surrounded with, despite that it is based in Malaya. I mean, Malaysia.

“I’ve never trusted clever people: they’re troublemakers. ‘Ignorance is bliss’ is the bedrock of our country. Without it, our democracy would be in shambles.”

[JooLee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of the funniest, most insightful books I read in 2007. The author swears that Dato' Hamid is a figment of his imagination but any Malaysian of above a certain age will find this character very familiar.

[Introvert Insane · Rating 5 out of 5]

MODERN PAK PANDIR? DELICIOUSLY FUNNY, WONDERFULLY SATIRICAL (AND MORE REAL THAN YOU THINK)

"But that was what it was back then, to be Malay. We carried it in our hearts: food, family, modesty, adventure and faith." And ironically Dato' Hamid carried none of these values throughout his adventures.

Dato' Hamid, a "humble" previleged civil servant tells us his adventures fron his younger days. From drunken nights to solving a murder mystery each chapter is a satirical look on the lives of a so-called "humble" civil servant who reached where he is by sheer luck.

DH reminds me a bit of the old tales of Pak Pandir (iykyk) that it feels like a modern take of the fabled character in Malay tradition. DH has absolutely zero redeeming qualities and that's the whole point. He is a lazy, stupid, cowardly, greedy man who seemingly survived this far in this world by the only thing he did right; marrying The Wife (the smart Mak Andeh trope?). Also is it purposefully symbolic that we never get The Wife's name, to show that despite her brilliance her identity will always be overshadowed by her inferior husband? I love how every time Pak Pandir (read: Dato' Hamid) fumbles and thinks everything is destroyed, Mak Andeh (read: The Wife) will save the day.

My favourite chapter is the murder mystery one because it is so rich in detail and it was nice to see The Wife having a partner in crime ( pun intended).

But the final chapter was surprisingly introspective and wholesome whilst showing the different values of old and new. As our OLD BOYS ponder over Malaya's past and Malaysia's future and how some of us despite not being born here are more Malaya/Malaysian than those who were it's honestly heartwarming. It is not the land belong to us, it is WE BELONG TO THE LAND. Even if some of us were not born here, we might feel its call and our souls call it HOME.

[Phillip Kang · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kam Raslan is both witty and humourous in reminiscing the adventures of Dato Hamid, a humble civil servant in what was then known as Malaya. Good read!

[Hasma Ismail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Too funny and I can't believe it's fiction

[S S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Satire meets Malaysian politics. A book that is oh so familiar to any Malaysian and echoes our private sentiment. You will laugh at the painful truths if you have a Malaysian sense of humour

[Najwa Farhana · Rating 4 out of 5]

funniest book ive read in a minute

[Katdakoo · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 🌟

[Kathy Chung · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dato Hamid is certainly a loveable character. He love his wife but he also love himself best. It's was a humorous journey reading about his exploits.

Reviewed at Mama Kucing Meow : Confessions Of An Old Boy: The Dato' Hamid Adventures by Kam Raslan

[H · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a collection of short stories centered on a character, with vague continuity between the stories. The nature of the book means unevenness. Parts of the book are very fun and super funny. Some other parts, not so much.

In any case, the fun parts make it all worth reading it!

[Meha fareha]

at the moment i laugh out loud while reading this...still have more pages to go..hehe

[Ororo · Rating 3 out of 5]

i love this book ahahaha
it is funny
it is sly
and most of all it is malaysian

[Thavakumar Kandiahpillai · Rating 5 out of 5]

classic wit, all the more enjoyable if you are able to appreciate the Malaysian cultural setting.