There is a common misconception held by some about Malaysian history, that it is rather short and not as spectacular as the histories of other long-established nations.

This could not be any further from the truth as this country, despite not being as old as China or India, still has many unbelievable moments and exciting stories in its history.

To prove this much, Dr Davendralingam Sinniah has finally published his novel, “Once Upon A Time in Malaysia: Interloper” after almost 20 long years of writing.

A physician by trade, Sinniah has long held an affinity for exhilarating tales of swashbuckling pirates plying the high seas.

During his primary school years, he won an English literature competition and was presented with a prize consisting of pirate-themed books.

His love for the sea and the adventurous brigands has never ceased since then and will stay with him for the rest of his life.

Influenced by Margaret Mitchell’s classic romance novel “Gone with the Wind” and Leo Tolstoy’s historical epic, “War and Peace”, he started to write the draft for the novel that would become “Once Upon a Time in Malaysia: Interloper.”

“My extensive reading on our nation’s history and that of the surrounding countries is what inspired me to write this novel,” says Sinniah.

Speaking to FMT, he said that while the main characters of his story are indeed fictional, the events that are depicted in the novel are based on historical fact.

However, for the first-time author, writing his debut novel was no easy task.

“The novel was written over a 20-year period of time and it happened in fits and starts.”

“Sometimes inspiration would come and the writing would flow,” he said “While at other times, there was no inspiration, so there were long periods when no writing was done.”

The most important lesson that Sinniah gained from the experience is, “Never underestimate the time and effort required to complete a book!”

Being a romance novel, the plot revolves around the experiences of the main character, a British woman named Nicola whose arrival in then-Malaya takes a dangerous turn when she falls into the hands of pirates.

When asked if it was difficult to write a realistic perspective of a character of the opposite sex, Sinniah said it was not as his experience as a father gave him the experience he needed.

He in fact based another female character on his daughter, whose perpetual curiosity is shared by her book counterpart.

As for the reason why he decided to pick up the pen in the first place, he said that he felt it was a way to encourage more Malaysians to learn their own country’s history.

“I hope readers will enjoy the book on two levels. Firstly, as an exciting tales in its own right and secondly, as an introduction to Malaysia’s recent past and that of its neighbours.”

Published by Bluetoffee Books, “Once Upon a Time in Malaysia: Interloper” is now available for purchase online and in bookstores.