WE were in the midst of a pandemic when this book project took off, and it took quite a bit of effort to reach out to various individuals and institutions for assistance with research and requests for personal interviews.

What amazed me with this exercise – which stretched over three years – was the kindness and generosity of people, ranging from the clergy to the laity, with opening their offices, homes and their hearts and giving their time and invaluable information to Theresa, Jacqueline and me.

These encounters, video and audio calls, emails and countless to-ing and fro-ing along the way, gave great insights into the person Archbishop Emeritus Murphy Pakiam was and continues to be.

The book, which was launched yesterday to commemorate 60 years of His Grace’s journey as a priest, offers what we hope is a glimpse of a great man and his personal commitment to mercy and peace.

And yes, if someday, the book is adapted into a film, my dream cast for a Netflix-inspired movie would include Malaysians like Hans Isaac and Elaine Daly (who coincidentally, is a grandniece of freedom fighter Sybil Kathigasu, who is mentioned in the book).

(AGENT OF CHANGE: Essays on the life and times of Archbishop Emeritus Tan Sri Murphy Pakiam, is available at RM20, from the Catholic Research Centre in Kuala Lumpur. Call 03-20266472 or WhatsApp +6016-6386879 to order)