This book is an account of the multi-faceted activities of the Special Branch as it tackled problems of religious extremism, espionage and sedition from 1915 to 1942. It documents the severe threats to security and stability beneath the placid peacefulness of that period. Drawing upon previously unavailable archival materials, Absent History reveals the often-privileged view that the Special Branch had of the events and strands of Malayan/Singapore history.