Captain
W.G. Shellabear is recognized as the founder of MPH. In 1890, he established the
Amelia Bishop Press in
Singapore, publishing
Christian literature. The company eventually began publishing secular works as well, changing its name to the
American Mission Press in 1893. In the 1900s, Rev. William T. Cherry expanded the organization's activities to printing, publishing, bookselling, and book distribution. He changed the company's name to
Methodist Publishing House in 1906, giving rise to the acronym 'MPH', as the company is known today. MPH changed its name in 1927 to the
Malaya Publishing House and in 1963 it was renamed as the
Malaysia Publishing House, but throughout the acronym MPH remained. The company also changed ownership multiple times, being acquired by an
Indonesian consortium Led By Mr Tjio Wie Thay A.k.a Masagung in 1966, then a
Hong Kong group, Jack Chia-MPH, in 1972 and finally by Singaporean entrepreneur
Simon Cheong in 1999. In 2002, Jalinan Inspirasi Sdn Bhd, acquired the company. This was the first time MPH became a wholly Malaysian-owned company. ==Bookstores==