I am genuinely unhappy with how the printing of my book, Polis Raja Di Malaysia: Power, Corruption & Control in Malaysia’s Police Force, has turned out.
And this is not about the money. The printer has refunded it. It is about how this was handled.
I first printed one copy of the book with them around February or March. There were no issues. We subsequently agreed that I would print 100 copies.
Due to financial and unforeseen circumstances, I could not make the deposit until August, when I paid RM600. On 28 September, I paid another RM600, leaving roughly RM200 to be paid after printing.
Then, on 5 October, I was told they could not proceed because the book supposedly violated KDN requirements.
Seriously?
This is the same book they had already printed. The title had not changed. The content had not suddenly changed. They knew exactly what they were agreeing to print. The book has also been registered with Perpustakaan Negara Malaysia and has ISBN 978-629-96135-3-4.
I understand that an ISBN is not KDN approval. I also understand that a printer has the right to refuse a job if it genuinely believes there is a regulatory problem. But why was this only raised now?
Why not when they printed the first copy? Why not when we agreed on the 100-copy run?
Why not before accepting RM600 in August? Why not before accepting another RM600 on 28 September? If there was a problem, I should have been told months ago.
The refund does not change that.
I had already made arrangements for the book to be distributed through several bookstores, including Biblio, Gerak Budaya and MPH. Those plans now have to be postponed again.
So no, this is not about getting my RM1,200 back. It is about being told at the very last minute that something apparently should have been a problem all along. This could have been handled much better.
But I am not giving up on Polis Raja Di Malaysia. The book is written. The ISBN is assigned. The work has been done. And I still intend to see it in print and get it into the hands of readers.
So now I will find another printer, sort out the distribution, and move forward. As God is my witness, the book will be printed. By hook or by crook.
Perhaps this setback is just another obstacle in getting it there. Either way, I am determined to see it through.