The Secession of Singapore from Malaysia: a Historical Interpretation of the Novel Satu Bumi

  • Sohaimi Abdul Aziz Universiti Sains Malaysia

Abstract

History has often become the inspiration for writers, as it has for Isa Kamari in the case of his novel Satu Bumi (One Earth) (1998). What were the historical sources for this author, and how were they employed in his fiction? What was the author's aim in fictonalizing these historical sources? These are the questions that receive attention in this paper. Using a historical approach and textual analysis, the historical facts found in the novel Satu Bumi and the author's aims behind fictionalizing them are examined in this study. The study finds that the novel Satu Bumi is based on the history of Malaysia and Singapore, and fictionalizes the historical events using elements of romance and drama. However, even in this romantic and dramatic setting, the historical elements used do not merely serve to record the history of Malaysia and Singapore but are also employed to predict the future of Malay community in Singapore, which is in an alarming state due to the island state's physical development and a political situation that could be deemed racist, apart from the attitude of the Malay community itself.


Keywords: history, historical fiction, Malays, Singapore, Malaysia

Author Biography

Sohaimi Abdul Aziz, Universiti Sains Malaysia

School of Humanities

References

Baker, Jim, 2005. A Popular History of Malaysia and Singapore. Second edition. Singapore: Marshall Cavendish Editions.

Cole, P.B., 2009. Young Adult Literature in the 21st Century. Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.

Collingwood, R. G., 1973. The Idea of History. London: Oxford University Press.

http://ourstory.asia1.com.sg/merger/merger.html (accessed on 11 November 2013).

Isa Kamari, 1998. Satu Bumi. Singapore: Malaysia Press Sdn. Bhd.

Osborne, M.E., 1964. Singapore and Malaysia. Ithaca, New York: Department of Asian Studies, Cornell University.

Sohaimi Abdul Aziz, 2013. "Melayu daripada satu bangsa kepada satu etnik" in Ramli Abdul Samad, Melayu Mencapai Bintang. Penang: Persatuan Karyawan Pulau Pinang.

Tregonning, K.G., 1972. A History of Modern Malaysia and Singapore. Kuala Lumpur: Eastern Universities Press Sdn. Bhd.

White, H., 1992. Tropics of Discourse: Essays in Cultural Criticism. Fifth edition. Baltimore & London: The Johns Hopkins University Press.
Published
2014-06-01
How to Cite
ABDUL AZIZ, Sohaimi. The Secession of Singapore from Malaysia: a Historical Interpretation of the Novel Satu Bumi. Malay Literature, [S.l.], v. 27, n. 1, p. 53-71, june 2014. ISSN 2682-8030. Available at: <https://jurnal.dbp.my/index.php/MalayLiterature/article/view/4331>. Date accessed: 29 mar. 2024. doi: https://doi.org/10.37052/ml.27(1)no3.