Abstract: Since 1965, Singapore has gradually established a policy of bilingual education, the purpose of which is to establish the dominant position of English in Singapore's education system. The Singaporean government has controlled the development of Chinese language education (Hua Wen) and caused a great trauma and permanent pain in the hearts of Singaporean Chinese. Nanyang University in 1980 was forced to close, the two big Chinese newspapers “Sin Chew Daily” and “Nanyang Siang Pau” were forced to merge in 1983, and Chinese schools were closed in 1987. All changes bespeak the Singapore government's governing philosophy of pragmatism. In the past 60 years, various established writers have focused on an array of common themes related to the cultural activities organized by nanlai (coming from China) teachers, the trauma caused by the abrupt closure of Chinese schools in the 1970s and 1980s, and the ensuing predicaments confronting the Singaporean Chinese. In this paper, I focus on selected works of established Singaporean Chinese writers, such as Yeng Pway Ngon, Tan Swie Hian, Kuo Pao Kun, Teoh Hee La, Chia Hwee Pheng (Xi Ni Er), Chia Joo Ming, Quan Sy Ren, Tan Chee Lay and Ng How Wee as case studies. Situated in the background of Singaporean-Malaysian literary historiography, this paper seeks to reveal the construction of Singaporean Chinese national consciousness embedded in both official and folk historical narratives. Moreover, I intend to recalibrate our understanding of the historical formation and characteristics of contemporary Singaporean Chinese culture.

Key words: Xinhua literature, national consciousness, Chinese School, Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore