The lecture, a joint collaboration between University of the Philippines Center for International Studies (UPCIS), University of the Philippines Center for Integrative and Development Studies, Program on Alternative Development (UP CIDS-AltDev), and UP Department of Political Science, attracted a diverse audience comprising students, academics, and individuals interested in gaining deeper insights into Singapore's decolonization process. In this lecture, Dr. Pingtjin “PJ” Thum discusses how his book provides a different framework for understanding Singapore’s decolonization: as a conflict over the content and shape of the identity of Malayan nationalism, stemming from four deep seated schisms in Singapore society: race, class, language, and the meaning of self-determination.