---
title: 'Malaya Today, Picture Set D, no. 7: Soldiers dancing and singing in their canteen (Malay Jawi-script photo poster distributed in Malaya)'
url: https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/malaya-today-set-d-7-song-and-dance-canteen-malay-1953/
description: A crowded photograph of smiling soldiers in an indoor room, seated and standing in a ring around a man dancing in the centre, some clapping.
section: Collection
---

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3. Malaya Today, Picture Set D, no. 7: Soldiers dancing and singing

[![Malaya Today, Picture Set D, no. 7: Soldiers dancing and singing in their canteen, 1953 US poster: A crowded photograph](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/images/malaya-today-set-d-7-song-and-dance-canteen-malay-1953.jpg)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/images/malaya-today-set-d-7-song-and-dance-canteen-malay-1953.jpg)

# Malaya Today, Picture Set D, no. 7: Soldiers dancing and singing in their canteen (Malay Jawi-script photo poster distributed in Malaya)

A crowded photograph of smiling soldiers in an indoor room, seated and standing in a ring around a man dancing in the centre, some clapping. The Jawi-script Malay caption says the soldiers dance and sing in their canteen. The tell is plain-folks: army life is shown as cheerful, informal comradeship among ordinary men.

## Propaganda techniques used in this poster

[Plain folks](https://propagandaarchive.org/techniques/plain-folks/)

## Text on the object

Original (Malay (Jawi script)) · read from the image, not independently checked

```
تانه ملايو هاري اين  كمفولن كمبر "دي"  ڤاسوقكن٢ برسنجات ڤرسكتوان

عسكر ايت مناري دان مڽاڽي دالم كنتين مريك

[7]
```

English translation (machine translation by Claude, not verified by a fluent reader)

```
Malaya Today  Picture Set "D"  Armed forces of the Federation

The soldiers dance and sing in their canteen.

[7]
```

Jawi script, read from the image; header reads 'Malaya Today, Picture Set "D", Armed forces of the Federation'. The verb read here as 'sing' (mnyanyi) is the least certain word; the English follows the sense of the sentence.

[← Malaya Today, Picture Set D, no. 7: Singing and dancing in the canteen (Chinese photo poster distributed in Malaya)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/malaya-today-set-d-7-canteen-song-and-dance-chinese-1953/) [Malaya Today, Picture Set D, no. 7: Song and dance in the canteen (Tamil photo poster distributed in Malaya) →](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/malaya-today-set-d-7-song-and-dance-canteen-tamil-1953/)

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- [Trois Tetes sous l'meme bonnet (three heads under the same cap)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/trois-tetes-sous-le-meme-bonnet-1789/) (France · 1789 · Plain folks, Glittering generalities)
- ['This log cabin was the first building erected on the North Bend', Whig print by T. Sinclair, 1840](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/harrison-north-bend-log-cabin-sinclair-1840/) (United States · 1840 · Plain folks, Transfer)
- [Treeing Coons (pro-Polk cartoon), 1844](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/treeing-coons-polk-1844/) (United States · 1844 · Name-calling, Plain folks)
- [Zachary Taylor, People's Candidate for President (Currier banner), 1848](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/taylor-fillmore-peoples-candidate-1848/) (United States · 1848 · Plain folks, Glittering generalities)
- ['Little Mac.' (from the Democratic presidential campaign songster)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/little-mac-song-sheet-feeks-1864/) (United States · 1864 · Bandwagon, Plain folks)
- [The peoples' choice, H. Greeley G. Brown](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/peoples-choice-greeley-brown-1872/) (United States · 1872 · Bandwagon, Plain folks)
- [The working-man's banner. For President, Ulysses S. Grant, 'The Galena Tanner.' For Vice-President, Henry Wilson, 'The Natick Shoemaker.'](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/working-mans-banner-grant-1872/) (United States · 1872 · Plain folks, Transfer)
- [The Chappaqua farmer](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/chappaqua-farmer-1872/) (United States · Jul 1872 · Plain folks, Glittering generalities)