He Who is Made Lord: Empire, Class and Race in Postwar Singapore

Muhammad Suhail bin Mohamed Yazid
Paperback, 252 pages
9789815104301

In June 1959, the British established the office of Yang di-Pertuan Negara (He Who is Made Lord) to replace the colonial governorship and represent Queen Elizabeth II in Singapore. Muhammad Suhail explores the divergent attempts to invest meaning in the Yang di-Pertuan Negara. In doing so, he weaves a rich story about the contesting ideas of sovereignty during the global age of decolonization. He Who is Made Lord is a captivating take on Singapore’s emergence as a postcolonial nation, providing a gateway into the island’s past as part of the Malay World, the British Empire and the Commonwealth of Nations.

Contents
1. Yang di-Pertuan Negara of Singapore
2. Redesigning the Colonial State
3. Imperial, or Malay(an) Symbol?
4. Commoner, or Privileged Elite?
5. Multiracial, or Communal Icon?
Epilogue: He Who is Made Lord