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Rozlan was eager for a new challenge
when he made an impulsive decision
to quit his job – “it was stupid” he says
ruefully. The next chapter of his life was
spent running a security service company,
before he was pulled back towards the
gritty world he had left behind.
He may have taken himself out of
the world of crime, but that world had
certainly not left Rozlan – his imagina-
tion fizzed with plots and intrigues and
prompted him to pen short stories for
friends, challenging them to ‘solve’ the
crimes in a bid to test both the reader’s
and writer’s mental dexterity.
Q&A with the
Author
Where did you grow up?
Mainly in Kuala Lumpur
What were you like as a child?
Frommy sister I gather I was very
mischievous
What was your earliest ambition?
To be an office boy because I used
to have a friend who worked as an
office boy and he always seemed to
have money.
What did you enjoy about your work
in the police force?
The friends I made.
Howmuch research do you do
before writing?
Much more than I like to do.
Where and when do you write best?
Best! Hahahaha. I do most of my
writing at home, anytime I feel like
writing.
What is the hardest thing about
writing crime stories?
The ending, as then I can stop.
What is the most satisfying aspect
of writing?
Seeing my work published.
Which other authors inspire you?
All fiction writers.
Do you have any advice for aspiring
authors?
If you want to write for a living, go
and work with a newspaper or
periodical.
What do you switch off to from your
gritty tales?
I read gritty tales by others.
The short stories were a hit with
his friends and it was them – and his
son Daniel – who persuaded Rozlan
to extend his tales into novels and
seek a publisher. Ambitious Rozlan
admits that “getting a book pub-
lished was always onmy bucket
list” but he never expected it to
become a reality.
Yet it did. His debut novel,
21 Immortals
, was picked
up by a local publisher and
wowed the nationwith its
fast-paced plot entangled
with high-tech intrigues and
gritty, back-street criminals. The
central protagonist, Inspector Mislan,
was painted in such real brushstrokes to
render him inspiring and empathic despite
his flaws, and both the inspector and his
tale were a hit.
Upon the book’s arrival onto the scene
in 2010, life changed completely. In a
stroke, Rozlan moved from amateur short
story writer to published author and,
remarkably, international award nominee.
His name appeared on the shortlist for the
Commonwealth Writer’s Prize, render-
ing Rozlan “blown away, thrilled and
speechless”.
As he told an interviewer following the
shortlist announcement:
“I wrote the book for Daniel, never
expected it to be published, but it was. I
never thought anybody would read it, ex-
pect for a handful of friends, but the public
did. Award! That never even crossed my
mind, not even in my daydreams!”
Three years on, Rozlan has recovered
from his shock and continues to write
voraciously – he is currently penning the
fourth of the Inspector Mislan novels,
much to the delight of his enthusiastic
fan base.
He is a case study in the variety of life,
proof that talents emerge and are inspired
by the experiences gathered through
the years. This imaginative individual
harbours many more ambitions, “none
of them related to writing!”, but for those
who love his books, rest assured, there
are no signs that the pen of Rozlan is
running dry.