This book authored by Leong Chan Teik was launched in Oct 09, and is available at leading bookstores. The following is the preface to the book by the author:
Back in 1999, as a journalist, I covered the very first meeting SIAS organised for its members – and what an occasion it was. The ballroom in Apollo Hotel was packed, and the tension was palpable as people tried to come to terms with an unprecedented nightmare. Their shares in Malaysian companies had been frozen, and many despaired they would ever get their money back.
As I sat among the crowd, I looked to the people on stage and it struck me that they seemed to have good intentions and expertise in financial matters and a will to tackle the issue - but weren’t they up against the greatest odds?
Over the many days and months later, I plunged into the thick of the coverage of the SIAS fight for the return of the CLOB shares, and its subsequent astounding success. My encounter with SIAS didn’t end there. I wrote many a story about SIAS in subsequent years, including some of the events that are covered in this book.
Before we all knew it, 10 years have passed since the CLOB saga. The collective effort and inspiration of the men at SIAS, led by its founder David Gerald, have moved many a mountain. This book, hopefully, does justice to their work and spirit.
David, in collaborating with me in the writing of this book, has been most helpful and I owe him a bundle of gratitude. And, belated as it is, I thank him for getting my CLOB shares back.
Leong Chan Teik
