Did you know that the Chinese-English man who introduced the world to ‘The Saint’ and made Roger Moore a star as Simon Templar had his share of adventures as a young man in then-Malaya?

Before he became a crime novelist and creator of ‘The Saint’, Leslie Charles Bowyer-Yin was a boat hand, a gold prospector, a pearl diver; and worked in a tin mine and rubber plantation – all in Malaya.

He did all of that after he dropped out of college in England in the first year to earn money to pursue his storytelling.

One account has it that his Chinese surgeon father, Dr Yin Suat Chuan, stopped supporting him financially because he considered writers as vagabonds.

There are no records to show where and for how long Bower-Yin had worked in Malaya, but there have been suggestions in his life stories that his escapades in the then-federation boosted his stories.

Born in 1907 in British-ruled Singapore, Bower-Yin moved to England in 1919 with his father, his English mother Lydia Florence Bowyer, and a brother.

It is thought that Bower-Yin’s brother, a Christian pastor, also came to Malaya where he lived for many years.

In the year 1926, when Bower-Yin was 19, he legally changed his surname to Charteris, a name supposedly taken from a phone book.

Two years later, he unleashed the gentleman, crime fighter and playboy Simon Templar in the novel ‘The Saint Meets the Tiger’.

Today marks 52 years since the British TV series featuring Roger Moore, the most definitive Simon Templar, ended in 1969 after 118 episodes.

Malaysians were captivated by Charteris’ storylines as Moore, who brought humour, panache and suavity to his role, tackled oil sheiks, nuclear scientists, mad professors, assassins, and backstreet hoodlums.

Charteris portrayed his hero as a dandy crime fighter – whose nominal nemesis was chief inspector Claud Eustace Teal – not as a crusader, bulging with muscles and vengeance.

An animated white halo appeared above Moore’s head as he looked upward whenever the name of Simon Templar was mentioned.

He would typically introduce himself in this manner: “Pardon me. In the excitement of the moment and all that sort of thing, I forgot to introduce myself. I’m afraid I’ve had you at a disadvantage. My name is Templar — Simon Templar. You may have heard of me. I am the Saint.”

Malaysians were also introduced to the Volvo brand, as Moore drove a white Volvo P1800, the ‘halo’ car that aroused emotions.

His calling card, a stickman crowned with a halo, is almost as famous as the character himself and has an almost magical nostalgia about it.

The idea for the symbol came about while Charteris, who had artistic limitations, was sketching scenes using stickmen.

It has never been made clear why Charteris called his lead character The Saint, although it could be from the initials – Simon Templar = St = Saint.

The purpose for ‘The Saint’, according to Charteris was: “We Saints are normally souls of peace and goodwill towards men. But we don’t like crooks, blood suckers, traders in vice and damnation.

“We are not bothered about the letter of the law, we act exactly as we please, we inflict what punishment we think is suitable, and no one is going to escape us.”

On his choice of Templar as the surname, Charteris said: “My first, even pre-adolescent, idols were the giants of the legends of chivalry.

“My paladin had to have a symbolic name, something with a hint of swords and plumes and trumpets in it. Templar, to me, was such a name.”

The writing may not compare with the greats, but Charteris managed to create a globally recognisable character whose wit and charm lasted for decades.

The series from 1962-1969, produced by Lew Grade, was in competition against other action thrillers that equally offered a blend of suspense, stylish action, sexual intrigue and innovative storylines.

These cult shows included ‘Danger Man’ (1960-1968); ‘The Man from U.N.C.L.E.’ (1964-1968); ‘The Avengers’ (1961-1969); and ‘ Mission: Impossible’ (1966-1973).

The opening themes of ‘Mission: Impossible’ by Argentine composer Lalo Schifrin and that of ‘The Saint’ by Englishman Edwin Astley were infectious and lured audiences into watching each episode every week.

Their music defined television in the swinging sixties and Astley used the muted trumpet, piccolo and baritone saxophone to create a jazzy high-pitched theme to catch the characteristics of The Saint.

On Feb 9, 1969, the series wrapped up production with the final episode, ‘The World Beater’.

Charteris continued writing while Moore, after seven years of being Simon Templar, went on to don the James Bond persona in seven films, beginning with 1973’s ‘Live and Let Die’.

The author’s last book, ‘Salvage for the Saint’ was published in 1983, making it nearly 100 novels and collections of stories about The Saint he had written since 1928.

The books, which have been translated into over 30 languages, sold some 40 million copies worldwide.

They have also inspired 15 feature films, three TV series, 10 radio series, and a comic strip that was written by him and syndicated globally for over a decade.

In recognition of a lifetime achievement, he was awarded the Cartier Diamond Dagger by the Crime Writers’ Association in 1992.

He died the following year, aged 85.