Malayan Spy

by Kam Raslan

London, 1952. Young man Hamid, adrift from his studies and from himself, uncertain of his future and that of Malaya, not yet a country. He wants to belong to something but is it to his Sultan, to a barely imagined nation or to the British Empire? The answer, he believes, is to find a wife.

In the Great Smog, he meets Tom Pelham, an old friend from Malaya and son of a former British Resident, who invites Hamid to spend Christmas at his family estate. Excited, Hamid anticipates reuniting with his childhood crush, Clare Pelham, only to be met with another pleasant surprise: Clare’s two competitive friends, Hermione and Margaret. Hamid finds them as exotic as they find him. Caught in the middle of the three women, Hamid does the unthinkable, loses Clare’s trust and is thrown out of the house. But all is not lost. Tom offers Hamid a route back to redemption and to Clare—if he spies for England.

Cold War Berlin, 1953. Hamid is sent to seduce an East German communist student leader. Abandoned in East Berlin when it is sealed off during a violent uprising (unknown today outside Germany), Hamid must save himself from Soviet tanks and rely on the unknown loyalties of a Soviet Colonel and especially on the wits of his mistress, loyal only to herself. Hamid must cross the final bridge to safety, to adulthood and to belonging to something, or to someone.

352 pages, Paperback

Published March 1, 2025

Reviews

[Kel]

Dnf

[H · Rating 5 out of 5]

Generally a fun read. If you got the book because of the ‘spy stuff’, you’d need to get to the second half to avoid disappointment. So, be patient a bit (and it’s quite an easy read).

[Tim Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a superb novel—assured, beautifully balanced, and quietly impressive on every page. The Malayan Spy is pitch-perfect in tone, with a finely edged wit, a gently wistful prose style, and an elegiac quality that lingers long after the last page. It knows exactly what kind of book it is and never puts a foot wrong.

Kam Raslan writes with a deep, instinctive understanding of a world on the turn: the long dusk of empire and the first chill of a new Cold War order. There is no nostalgia here, but there is feeling—an acute awareness of loss, uncertainty, and historical momentum, handled with restraint and intelligence.

The humour is deft and quietly incisive rather than showy, the dialogue precise and dry, and the Malayan setting rendered with confidence and intimacy rather than spectacle. Everything feels observed rather than invented.

What really elevates the novel, though, is its moral intelligence. Ambiguity runs through it at every level—from private choices and personal loyalties to the larger, impersonal movements of history. Nothing is simplified, nothing explained away. People act, compromise, misjudge, and carry on, as people always do.

In short, this is an elegant, thoughtful, and deeply humane novel—one that understands its moment in history and the people caught inside it. A book of real substance, written with grace, precision, and quiet authority.

[Jarrod Sio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hamid is a Malayan caught in a series of unfortunate events by virtue of his imbroglio at Tanamera, a stately mansion that recalls Daphne du Maurier’s Manderley.

Shades of Waugh dapple the scene at Tanamera, where Hamid plays a Charles Ryder–like naïf. Unlike Ryder’s chaste interactions with the Flyte siblings, Hamid proceeds to ravage one English beauty after another, until his prodigious talents in seduction see him recruited as a honey trap for virgins in communist Berlin.

As you may have already deduced from this review, The Malayan Spy wears its influences on its sleeve—there’s a sprinkling of Le Carré’s intrigue, a dash of du Maurier, and a dollop of Brideshead—all of which combine into a somewhat messy morass.

Overall, the novel is good, rollicking fun. I finished it in two days. The Malayan Spy is best enjoyed on its own merit; comparisons are best avoided. Raslan should not be measured against writers like Tan Twan Eng, Tash Aw, or even Hanna Alkaf, whose works carry more heft and display a lyrical quality that contrasts sharply with Raslan’s often wooden and stilted dialogue.

[Mohammad Abdullatif · Rating 2 out of 5]

For me, the book didn’t deliver on the premise suggested by its title 'Malayan Spy' and the back-cover blurb. Both imply a split-timeline historical espionage story, which sounded very intriguing. However, the book is not that—instead, it’s primarily about post-colonial identity and Hamid’s emotional and moral journey.

Espionage is largely absent from much of the setup, and I found the characterization of most characters to be quite superficial. This didn't seem to stem from Hamid’s perspective as narrator, but rather from the writing itself.

That said, I do think there’s an interesting story buried within. The themes of post-colonial identity and the historical backdrop had real potential, but ultimately, the book missed the mark for me as a reader.

[hans · Rating 3 out of 5]

Espionage premise following Hamid in his flashback to the London’s Great Smog, 1952 during the uprising Cold War in Berlin. Of love, trust, betrayal and how he was caught to win back the heart of his crush by spying for England.

Not as thrilling as I expected for a spy plot, more like an emotional and morality adventure for Hamid who was stuck in his uncertain future worrying through the war and his pre-independence homeland with that seek of attachment he urged to find in the women he met. I enjoyed the 2nd half the most, bit witty, satirically told and averagely fun overall.

3.5/5*

(review copy courtesy of Penguin Books SEA, thank you!)

[Suzy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yes, I’m one of those people who are drawn to the word spy, especially when there’s a bit of history involved. So I was quite disappointed that the spy elements only appeared in the second half of the book.

To me, this book felt more like the messy life story of Hamid, who was supposed to be the spy. But there was too much focus on his personal relationships and not enough on actual spying.

For a book titled Malayan Spy, I expected more action, secrets and missions.

[Kritz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gave this book a go largely because the author does radio segments that I sometimes enjoy listening to.

The plot felt like a fever dream. I suppose a lot of it is somewhat absurdist, almost British humour? Was largely easy to read and quite amusing at times, but not quite the cup of tea for me.

[Rajesh Manikoth · Rating 3 out of 5]

TIL - post WWII real events in Berlin, England & Europe as boundaries were redrawn. And as Malaya came to terms with its upcoming independence. Date’s ‘humorous’ recounting of the events is laborious though.

[Raudhah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Felt like a fun history lesson!

[Sofea Amira · Rating 3 out of 5]

The real action starts on the second half of the book. It was kinda exciting but you have to go through the slowness of the first half

[Michel Van Roozendaal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked up this book in Singapore, without knowing the author. Written with a dry sense of humor, and connecting three different settings: post war Britain; 1953 Berlin and broadly Malaya/ Malaysia.

I was intrigued by the setting of a Malayan person in (East) Berlin (been there a few times when it still was East Berlin!), and many of these post war Berlin novels position European (or American) protagonists; and liked it.