"Madilog" was written by Tan Malaka in Rawajati, near a shoe factory in Kalibata, Pantjoran, Batavia. Malaka stayed there between 1942 and 1943 as a tailor, while inspecting the condition of the city and "kampungs" in Batavia, from where he left over 20 years before. He spent 720 hours writing "Madilog", over 8 months from July 1942 to March 1943, spending approximately 3 hours a day on the book and "Gabungan Aslia" (Aslia Merged), which was written at the same time. Publication had to be postponed due to lack of money and being under strict supervision of the Japanese Keibodan during World War II, from 1942 to 1945, when Indonesian independence was declared.