Malay leaders like Eunos Abdullah actively fought for Malay education in the 20th century. He advocated an increased budget for education so that more Malays could enter Medical College and attend Malay vernacular or trade schools. In the 1880s, Rumi (romanised Malay) was introduced as a school subject in the Straits Settlements. Textbooks in Rumi, such as this one, were thereafter published by the Department of Education. In part, this led to the rise of a new generation of bilingually educated Malays fluent in Rumi and English.
