Printed by the Continental Printing Company in Singapore, This this illustrated Chinese book features Malay folklore and the history of Singapore and Malaya from the 15th century to the post-World War II period.This translated book features two prefaces- one written by David Marshall, the first Chief Minister of Singapore, and the other by the Chief Minister of the Federation of Malaya, Tungku Abdul Rahman . Marshall emphasised that such a textbook that narrates history from the viewpoint of the Malayan people was long overdue. The Tungku also reiterated that the publication of this textbook was timely- on the eve of the Federation’s independence from British rule- and willenable the young people to learn and understand their own history.The governments of Singapore and the Federation also wanted the Chinese community to integrate and become true Malayan citizens. Hence, such books were translated to encourage the younger generation to identify with the new nation.
