A study of modern Malay literature of the immediate post-war years inevitably points to the role of Singapore as the centre of literary activity. After the war, Singapore ranked as the most important port in the region, attracting trade and business from all over the world. As a cosmopolitan city, it was a focus for foreign tourists, artists and scholars and held the promise of a lively cultural life. Its many libraries, the University of Malaya (1949) and Nanyang University (1955) combined to make it an ideal centre for literary activity. However, Singapore's importance, especially in the context of the development of Malay literature of the period, lies not only in its strategic location as an international sea-port. It is also tied up with the larger and more important overall climate of the day. In Singapore, political, social and economic forces combined to create an environment which brought into being a style of literary activity which was to leave a distinct mark in the history of modern Malay literature.

The 1940s were significant in the Asian region as a period of intense struggle for independence from colonial rule, with Indonesia gaining its independence in 1945, India in 1947, and Burma in 1948. Under the influence especially of the political struggles in Indonesia, the 1930s saw the growth in Malaya of a number of political organizations in Pahang, Negri Sembilan and Perak. In May 1937, Ibrahim Yaakub and a few others including Ishak Hj. Mohammad founded the Kesatuan Melayu Muda (KMM – Young Malays Association). Openly anti-British and radical in outlook, the organization advocated fighting for independence by aligning itself with Indonesia. During the Japanese occupation, progressive political movements were encouraged and Pembela Tanah Air (PETA – Defenders of the Motherland) was formed. This was a paramilitary group supported by the Japanese. After the Japanese surrendered and British took over control of the country, the Partai Kebangsaan Melayu Sa-Malaya (PKM - Malay Nationalist Party) was founded.