Chrita dulu kala, or 'stories from ancient times', were popular books among the Chinese Peranakan community. They were translations of well-known Chinese classics and fables into Baba Malay, a creole spoken by Peranakans. Published primarily around the turn of the 20th century pre-World War I period, they indicate the pioneering role of Peranakans in publishing literature in Romanised Malay. This series was translated by Pang Teck Joon, a second-generation immigrant born in Malacca who settled in Singapore after his father passed away. While he had no formal education and only learnt Chinese later in his life, he became proficient enough in the language to translate several well-known Chinese works such as 'Madame White Snake' to Baba Malay.
