Studies in Malaysian and Singapore History: Mubin Sheppard Memorial Essays

Foreword

Foreword The MBRAS is happy to publish this monograph under the title ‘Studies in Malaysian and Singapore History’ (Best NUS Student Research Essays (2008/2009 Academic Session)) under the Mubin Sheppard Memorial Fund. These essays are outstanding and original honours-year theses which were done at the History Department of the National University of Singapore during the 2008/2009 academic session when I was a visiting professor at the department. I supervised two students, one of whose essay is included in this volume. Students were required to show ability in historical research, application of theoretical approaches and methods and skills in their writing and interpretation. Seen in this light, the students’ research and writing may perhaps justify the new and unusual themes they have chosen in Singapore and Malaysian history. These essays were considered by the examiners (who comprised a different panel of lecturers) as outstanding and original works. I would like to thank the History Department at NUS, its senior lecturer Associate Professor Dr Bruce Lockhart and his student co-editor Lim Tse Siang for agreeing to compile and edit the essays for publication. In their introduction Dr Lockhart and Lim Tse Siang have commented on the salient features of the essays. The students’ respective fields of historical research reflect the intertwining histories of Singapore and Malaysia which have ‘more commonalities than differences’ despite the geo-political boundaries that divide the two countries. The society will use the Mubin Sheppard Memorial Fund to encourage, support and publish original and outstanding student papers and theses in historical research. Dr Cheah Boon Kheng Editor, JMBRAS 27 January 2010 v ...