Recently i wrote (in my field as a journalist) about Tom Clancy book, “The Marine” that was published somewhere around mid 90’s. I bought the book from MPH bookstore a couple of years ago. Unfortunately, my editor somehow does not want to use the story due to some sensitivity issue.

Tom, in “The Marine” is trying to depict a scenario on how US Marine force will work, he choose the setting in Sept 2008 when the Sultan of Brunei was blown apart in his helicopter by a guided missile.

The plot actually was mastermind by Malaysia government in an attempt to install a puppet ruler in Brunei, which is also a part of Malaysian government plan to control the oil field in Brunei (about the same scenario when the Iraqis invaded Kuwait in 1990s).

The United States immediately send its fleet of ships including an aircraft carrier to South China Sea.

Kuala Lumpur, meanwhile, scramble its fighter aircraft, the Migs and Hornet to warn the Americans but this action, was seen as an act of war by the US fleet commander. In retaliation, the US launched their Harrier and shot down the intruder aircraft.

One of the Hornet, pilot by a fictional character, Edward Tawau manage to close in and fire the aircraft cannon resulting a number of casualties among the crew in the US carrier.

In following days, a fleet of Malaysian ships including the frigate Lekiu and a transport ship, KD Seri Inderapura was on sail to Borneo without knowing a US submarine is stalking them.

The submarine later fire torpedoes and hit the KD Seri Inderapura, in his remark, Tom wrote, : “Lekiu (kapal friget Malaysia) stood by to recover survivors. By all accounts, they did a first rate, professional job of seamanship, worthy of the traditions they had inherited from Britain’s Royal Navy and their own pirate ancestors “.

The conflict ends, when US Marine succeed in destroying Malaysian army that was station to protect the oil feilds in Brunei.

My personnel opinion : Why Tom try to associated Malaysia as an American potential adversary? In the same book, Tom include two scenario on how the Marines will involve in tension. First, he create a scenario on how the Marines punished the Iranians (an attack on Iran nuclear plant) and second, the Malaysian invasion of Brunei.

Remember, he wrote the book in the 90s, the Iranian scenario is nearly a reality today where the US government is considering an attack as a retaliation on Teheran nuclear program.