From village boy to iconic cartoonist
lining up for the yesterday. life… I was the richest kid in town,” he said, during the launch of his autobiography titled Lat: My Life and Cartoons yesterday.
Lat said when he cashed the cheque, he gave his mother RM10 and asked her to return home as he and his then 6-year-old brother, Rahman, wanted to hang out and enjoy themselves.
They headed to the Tanjung Rambutan bus station for some ice kacang topped with ice cream, played some songs from the jukebox before heading to the record shop.
“When I went home, I realised I had spent a lot of money and asked my mother if she still had some money left… I had to take it back to pay for something at school.
“She has never forgotten about this incident and would tell our relatives this every Hari Raya… but as a good son, I tried my best to repay
by Malaysia’s
(right) and the book’s co-author her,” he said as the crowd burst into laughter.
These are the kinds of stories you will find in the book, Lat said, adding that this memorable incident was told in the prologue.
The stories highlight his insights, shedding light on Malaysia’s development, engaging a blend of riotous high jinks and anecdotes.
The book also includes more than 100 photographs, memorabilia and Lat cartoons, accompanied by 48 pages of illustrations.
“Talking about my life… It is a bit serious,” he said when asked why he decided to publish a book instead of his usual comic book series.
“When the New Straits Times made me a member of the Selangor Club, I would often go there.
“When club members saw me coming, they would say: ‘Wow, here comes Lat, he will tell us jokes’ but actually I had nothing... I just wanted to hear what people had to say because I am not a funny person at all,” he said.
The book’s co-author and Lat’s former colleague from the New Straits Times, Datuk Syed Nadzri Syed Harun, said the book provided rare insight into Lat the person.
He said although many Malaysians knew Lat through his
Pix by Surianie Mohd Hanif cartoons, not many people knew the personal stories that shaped him.
“It is a great honour to contribute to the book,” Syed Nadzri said.
More than two hundred people from all walks of life came to show their support for Lat, whose career spans more than 52 years.
An Indonesian fan, who introduced herself as Karina, said she arrived from Jakarta earlier in the day to attend the book launch and meet her idol.
She said Lat’s artworks were not only relevant to Malaysians but also Indonesians.
“After meeting Lat, I can now cross one of the items in my bucket list,” she said.
Clearly touched, Lat thanked her and everyone else who came.
“I see so many familiar faces here today. I am so touched to see my friends, families and former colleagues.
“I see big names here. I know who you are… there are so many, thank you so much for coming.”
Lat said he planned to publish a new story of Mat Som, one of his famous and most notable characters, next year which would focus on how Kuala Lumpur was like in the 1970s.
This time, he said, Mat Som would have a different message and hoped it would connect with the younger generation.
Meanwhile, the book’s editorial director Martin Cross of Editions Didier Millet said the book was a vivid story of a rare talent being developed and honed.
“It is a treasure trove of memories, telling the story of his life, including a childhood much more varied and less rooted than depicted in his bestselling cartoon book, The Kampung Boy.
“In Lat: My Life and Cartoons, Lat explains how he became a professional cartoonist in the 1960s, how he survived his wild years as a crime reporter in the 1970s, how he carved out his career as a newspaper cartoonist, how he travelled the world and how he navigated the heights of his fame,” Cross said.
The 232-page autobiography is exclusively available at Borders bookstores nationwide.
It is priced at RM99.
The book will be available at all bookstores after six months.
Cross said the book was also available in Singapore where there would be a book launch on Dec 10.
It will be available globally through websites such as Amazon and Barnes and Nobles.