Preface

Summary

Gerald de Cruz was an intersticial figure in Singapore's history after World War II. As a Eurasian, a nationalist, a communist and then a democratic socialist, as a journalist and a writer, he represents the overlapping energies of these spheres which the politics of the time brought together, often in opposition and conflict. He never rose to high political office, but his commitment to progressive ideas and movements speaks of a man of integrity trying to stay true to the roles that he had chosen for himself. This book seeks to portray his place in time for a younger generation of Singaporeans who might not be aware of how political choices were made at an important juncture of Singapore's history.

This book is based primarily on material drawn from Gerald de Cruz, Oral History Interview, by Foo Kim Leng; the Gerald de Cruz Papers deposited at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore; and his book, Colliding Worlds: Memoirs of a Singapore Maverick, a re-issue of Rojak Rebel: Memoirs of a Singapore Maverick with four new essays. His books on Malayan independence, nationalism and communism — the latter two based on his numerous talks delivered as a lecturer for the Political Study Centre — have also been consulted extensively.

I would like to record my gratitude to the former Director of the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Ambassador K. Kesavapany, who entrusted the writing of the book to me; and the present Director, Ambassador Tan Chin Tiong, under whom I completed it.

I would like to thank Mr Pitt Kuan Wah, Head of the ISEAS Library, and Ms D. Gandhimathy, Senior Manager at the library, for their invaluable assistance with research; Mr Ng Kok Kiong, Head of ISEAS Publishing, for his encouragement; Mr Stephen Logan, Editor – Special Projects, for his close attention to details of fact and nuances of style. This is a much better book than it was as a manuscript because of him.

Gerald de Cruz's family, particularly his daughter, Justice Judith Prakash; his son-in-law, Mr Jaya Prakash; and his son, Ambassador Simon de Cruz, provided invaluable help in fleshing out many aspects of his life. I thank Joshua de Cruz, a doctoral student at the University of London, for sourcing material on Gerald de Cruz's political activities from British archives.