ABSTRACT
Introduction Singapore’s ambivalent national and regional identity has been imaginatively depicted in Chua Mia Tee’s iconic painting National Language Class (see book cover). Chua’s work has drawn considerable attention for its ability to capture on canvas the ideational and identity challenges confronting Singaporean society in the late 1950s. Partially adopting a ‘back to the future’ approach, this study purports that many of the challenges confronting Singapore in the 1950s and 1960s remain relevant in the new millennium.
