Penghulu

Pak Suleh was the penghulu of Pulau Sebidang, one of the influential village headmen of the islands of the South. Forced to relocate to a small high-rise flat on mainland Singapore, he worries for the future of his family and yearns for his beloved island. A powerful meditation on loss, Penghulu is a portrait of a man struggling to return to his old way of life. But can Pak Suleh thwart the plans of his son-in-law, a newly elected member of parliament from the ruling party? Will the penghulu return to his island?

Praise:

“He is a writer critical of apathy, excessive individuality and a human life bereft of spirituality. Undoubtedly, he is today one of the leading Singaporean Malay writers whose works are well received both nationally and regionally.”
—Dr Azhar Ibrahim, Visiting Fellow, Department of Malay Studies, NUS