Keris Mas (10 June 1922 – 9 March 1992), born Kamaluddin Muhamad, was a prominent Malaysian literary figure and was one of the founders of the Asas '50 literary movement. His numerous contributions to Malay language literature (especially in the short story form) led him to become Malaysia's first National Laureate in 1981. Biography Born in Kampung Ketari, Bentong, Pahang. Keris Mas received his early education at the Malay School in his village, before going to the Tawalib school in Sumatra, and the Muallimin Al-Islamiah College. After World War II, he joined the Parti Kebangsaan Melayu Malaya (The National Malay Party of Malaya) (PKMM) wing in Pahang, and was actively involved in its branch in Singapore. In the party, he held the Information Officer post. He also worked with several newspapers, such as the Melayu Raya, Warta Negara (until 1956), and Utusan Melayu in Singapore (as the Editor of Publication). He is credited with contributing a lot towards the development of Mastika magazine and Utusan Zaman, a Malay-language newspaper in Jawi script. He joined the Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka in December 1956 as an editor, and his highest post, before his retirement on 10 June 1977, was as the head of the literary development section. After his retirement, he continued to be a Penulis Tamu (Resident Writer) at the University of Malaya and Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka. Literary career Keris Mas main contribution in the field of local literature was in short stories. By the end of the 1960s, he had written about 60 short stories. His first short story was Wasiat Orang Bangsawan (The Last Will and Testament of a Nobleman), published in the magazine Suluh Malaya (The Malayan Torch) in 1946. His works are now contained in the following anthologies: Mekar dan Segar (Rise and Shine) (1959); Dua Zaman (Two Eras) (1963); Patah Tumbuh (What Is Lost Returns) (1963); and Pertentangan (Conflict) (1968). He is also the author of four novels: Pahlawan Rimba Malaya (Hero of the Malayan Jungle) (1946); Korban Kesuciannya (His Holy Sacrifice) (1949); Anak Titiwangsa (The Son of Titiwangsa) (1949);Saudagar Besar dari Kuala Lumpur (The Big-Time Merchant From Kuala Lumpur) (1983); and Rimba Harapan (The Jungle of Hope) (1983). His works are distinguished by their themes of addressing social injustice and strong and lively characters that resonate with the reader. Asas 50 Asas 50 (Angkatan Sasterawan 50) (Writers movement '50) came to existence on 6