FOR WORKAHOLICS TO drop everything and go on a retreat is as crazy as asking a parent to stop worrying about their children for a while. Not really possible. Unless, of course the workaholic is suffering the symptoms typical of advanced alcoholism. When he begins doubting his very ability to work well or care well for his family, then he has to take some drastic action. Otherwise, he is at risk of burning out.
Going “cold turkey” for a workaholic … what would that be like? This sounds way too drastic. What about a halfway house then? A resort spa? A mountain retreat?
I am of course talking about myself. My workload and involvement in all my interests were overwhelming me in early 2026. I could not continue
at the pace I was moving at. Come to think of it, I no longer remembered weekends. My week was made up only of weekdays. I needed a break, and a stint at Rimbun Dahan, not far from Kuala Lumpur, offered a welcome opportunity.
A CHANGE IN PACE
After leaving Sweden in 2004 to work in Singapore, my working life changed from a sporadic mode—when I was a part-time lecturer at Stockholm University and a full-time quality controller at Ericsson Electronics—into an intensive one, as a researcher at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS). By the time I left to take over Penang Institute, I had written the equivalent of two dozen books in 13 years. During that time, I had also established the policy brief series, ISEAS Perspective, for ISEAS, and the city magazine, Penang Monthly, for Penang Institute.
And with my dear wife, I was raising two young kids. What all this tells me is that in this day and age, late-middle age is not too late in life. It can, in fact, be one’s most productive period. One can peak late. All the better for that, in fact.
Ten years into managing and developing the think tank in my hometown, my interest in work stayed high, but I sensed that I was close to burnout. Something had to be done. But cold turkey was not for me.
Penang Monthly colleagues suggested that I go for an artist’s retreat. They knew of a place called Rimbun Dahan, run by the family of Hijjas Kasturi, the famous architect, which operates an annual Southeast Asian Arts Residency programme. This is sited on Malay Reserve Land in Kuang, near Sungai Buloh, northwest of Kuala Lumpur.
