Chap 5:

Did the Japanese Occupation Change

the Way People Viewed Singapore?

Part II Impact of the

Japanese Occupation on
Peoples Views Towards
Singapore

What is happening in this

picture?

Make a guess: what is the

connection between these 2 men?

Empathy Exercise

Before and After

Jack Sharpe, before the war
He was sent to Singapore a few days before
the invasion of Singapore

Jack Sharpe, prisoner

of war

Jack Sharpe, Feb 2002

Changi Museum

On the other hand, the Japanese got

more and more aggressive...
7 Dec 1941: The Japanese attacked
Pearl Harbour in Hawaii to destroy the
American pacific fleet.
At the same time, Japan also began
their attacks on Malaya and other parts
of Southeast Asia by air, sea and land.
10 Dec 1941: HMS Prince of Wales and
HMS Repulse were sunk!

HMS Prince of Wales

Now you see it...

Now you dont.

Fall of the Impregnable

Fortress
By 8 Feb 1942, the Japanese had seized
Johor and were ready to invade Singapore.
Meanwhile, Britain was unable to send
adequate reinforcements to defend
Singapore. It had to concentrate most of
its military forces in Europe and in North
Africa since it was the only European
Allied country left to fight against the Axis
powers, which were rapidly expanding in
Europe and North Africa.

Activity
Read TB pages 24-25. Mark X at the
important places of the battle of
Singapore.

The Battle of Singapore Map, 1942

The Battle of Singapore

6 Feb: Japanese took over Sultans palace, which had a tower
that could allow the Japanese to have a clear view of northern
Singapore.
8 Feb: diversionary attack (British moved troops and supplies
from north-west to the north-east)
8 Feb: Japanese troops crossed into Singapore at Kranji and via
repaired Causeway
11 Feb: Japanese troops captured Bukit Timah. Not only
was Bukit Timah the highest point on the island, but it
was also where the British petrol, oil and supply depots
were located. General Yamashita set up his headquarters at
the Ford Motor Factory.
After the loss of the Bukit Timah area, Allied troops were
ordered to withdraw to the final defence perimeter around the
city area stretching from Pasir Panjang to Kallang.

The Battle of Singapore

13 Feb: the Japanese attacked Pasir
Panjang Ridge. The ridge was a key
location leading to the Allied forces main
ammunition magazine, main ordinance
depot, the Alexandra Military Hospital and
other military installations. The Malay
Regiment put up a strong resistance but was
eventually overwhelmed by the superior
numbers and weapons of the Japanese.
14 Feb: Massacre at the Alexandra Military
Hospital

The Massacre at the Alexandar

Military Hospital

For about one hour, three large groups of Japanese soldiers attacked
the hospital. They went from room to room shooting, bayonetting and
beating up doctors, orderlies and patients indiscriminately. They even
killed an anaesthetized patient who was still lying on the operating
table. About 50 men were killed in this first round. Around 3:30 p.m.,
200 men were rounded up, tied into groups of eight and forced to
march toward a row of buildings some distance from the hospital. The
gravely injured were not spared and were killed if they fell along the
way.

Upon reaching their destination, which was a row of outhouses, the

men were divided into groups of 50 to 70 people and crammed into
three small rooms. There was no ventilation and they lacked water.
They had neither space to sit nor lie down. Under these terrible
conditions, some men died during the night. The following morning,
the remaining men were told that they would receive water. By 11:00
a.m. the Japanese captors allowed the prisoners to leave the rooms in
groups of two on the pretext of their fetching water. However, as the

The Battle of Singapore

15 Feb 1942, Lt Gen Percival met his commanders at
the Fort Canning underground bunker. He wanted to
discuss ways to counterattack, but his commanders
were against the idea. They were running out of food
and water, and the soldiers were tired. To prevent
further bloodshed, the British decided to surrender to
the Japanese.
Later that day, Percival and his surrender party met
Yamashita at the Japanese headquarters located at
the Ford Factory and officially surrendered Singapore
to the Japanese forces.

Why did the

British fail to stop
the Japanese?

Why did the British fail to stop

the Japanese?
Factors

Japanese
- to conquer countries in
Priority
SEA for raw materials
- clear objectives of
conquering Singapore
Equipment - had tanks and modern
weapons
- appropriate transport
(bikes)
Leadership - effective and skilful
- effective strategies
- well prepared (had spies)
- well-trained in jungle
Troops
warfare
- committed and loyal

British
- war in Europe was more
important
-

did not have tanks

not decisive or forceful

officers could not agree
with one another
not well-trained in
jungle warfare
disorganized and
complacent

Japanese force: ambitious,

resourceful and well-prepared.
Before the war, the Japanese set up intelligence
services in Malaya and Singapore to provide
information on British defence and readiness.
Japanese troops were experienced :

Had previously fought in Manchuria and China.

Trained in jungle warfare (knew that bicycles were an
appropriate mode of transport through the jungles)

The Japanese were determined to achieve victory in

Asia. The soldiers had high morale because of their
victory in Pearl Harbour and in other parts of Asia.
Modern air force and naval fleet (zero fighter planes)

On the other
hand.

British: overconfident and

unprepared, and tied up elsewhere
The British
were too complacent. They believed that
their measures to defend Singapore were
adequate; that Singapore was welldefended
were too overconfident. They did not view
the Japanese as real threats as they had a
condescending attitude towards the
Japanese; often referred to them as
short, yellow, buck-tooth Japs and thus
felt that the Japanese army, navy and
airforce were inferior. They also believed
that they could rely on the US Pacific Fleet

British: tied up elsewhere

The British was also fighting a war in
Europe (against Germany and Italy)
and North Africa. They considered
Europe and North Africa more
important than the war in Asia and
the Pacific region and thus could not
send enough warplanes and
battleships to the Asia and Pacific
region to fight against the Japanese.

So
Japanese

Weapons were
modern

Intensive
preparations
jungle warfare

Nice (effective)
strategies used

Spies sent to Malaya

and Singapore

British

Lack of modern
weapons

Opinions of generals
were different

Strategies used was not

effective

Europe was their main

focus, not Asia

Soldiers not experienced

in jungle warfare

15 Feb the final discussion

When Singapore was Syonan-to

Within 8 days, the battle for Singapore was
over and Singapore officially came under the
rule of the Japanese military government.
Singapore was renamed Syonan-to, Light of
the South.
Clocks were moved forward one and a half
hours to follow Tokyo time. People had few
means to escape from Singapore and had to
face life under the new Japanese rulers.

When
Singapore was
Syonan-to
Dispelling the
myth of the
white mans
superiority

Promoting the
Japanese
culture

Attempts to
win local
support

Dispelling the myth of the White

Mans Superiority
After the British surrendered, the Japanese interned the
Australians, the British and other Europeans, including
women and children at the Sime Road Camp, Changi Jail
and Selarang Barracks.
The POWs had to do menial tasks such as repairing the
cleaning the dock facilities, water works and the airfields
damaged by Japanese bombs during the invasion.
They were given very little food. Many of the POWs
became very thin and malnourished.
The Eurasians were also treated harshly, and many of
them were interned as well. The Japanese despised them
because of their association with the Europeans.
Furthermore, many Eurasians were seen as British
supporters.

Dispelling the myth of the White

Mans Superiority
We remembered seeing the British march to Changi Jail.
Some of us saw our bosses marching haltingly and asking
for water along the way. We felt that the British were just
human, with human weaknesses, like us.
- An account by Gay Wan Guay, who witnessed the march of
the British to the internment camps.
It was a pitiful sight to see the British and Australian soldiers
cleaning up the roads. We never thought that a white man would
some day be a roadsweeper. So the Japanese Occupation changed
our impression of the white mans superiority.
- An account by Soon Kim Seng, a storekeeper at the Japanese Food
Control department.

How might this have shaped the

peoples views of the British?

Promoting the Japanese

Culture
In schools, students had to
Sing the Japanese national assembly
during morning assembly
Learn the Japanese language in place of
English.
Take part in activities, such as gardening
and cleaning, that promoted Asian
values of hard work and humility

Attempts to win local

support

The Japanese troops

used movies, books,
newspapers and radio
broadcasts for
propaganda purposes.

Refer to TB pg 31 to
see the kind of
messages the
Japanese wanted to
spread.

Propaganda comics. The end

of Shingaporu. The birth of
Syonan-to.

Attempts to win local

support
The Japanese also introduced policies that aimed to
win the support of the different communities.
For the Malays, the Japanese encouraged them to
be involved in the defence as well as the
administration of Singapore. The Japanese promised
to provide more opportunities in education so as to
prepare them for these roles.
For the Indians, the Japanese promised to assist
them in their movement to gain independence for
India from the British. With Japanese support, the
Indian National Army was formed to recruit Indians
in Singapore to fight against the British in India.

How were the Chinese treated?

http://xin.msn.com/en-sg/video/catc
hup/the-journey-tumultuous-times-ep
isode-2/vp-af04f99b-11f9-4825-9f3542fbaea2fff9

 The Kempeitai, the Japanese military

police, carried out the Sook Ching or
cleansing operation that was aimed at
removing anti-Japanese elements. The
Sook Ching was targeted at the Chinese.
The Japanese was suspicious of the Chinese
because the Chinese in Singapore had
opposed the Japanese invasion of China
and some even volunteered to return to
China to fight against the Japanese.

 All Chinese men aged 18 to 50 had to

report to mass screening centres to
be examined.
Men who were identified as antiJapanese were taken to Changi
Beach and other beaches to be
executed. Over 25 000 Chinese were
estimated to have been killed in the
Sook Ching.

Daily Life in Syonan-to

People experienced fear during the
Japanese Occupation as the Japanese
tried to promote loyalty and obedience
among the people through the use of
force.
For example, they forced people to bow
to Japanese sentries or face punishment.
The Japanese also used food or cash
rewards to encourage people to inform
the authorities of anyone whom they
suspected was involved in anti-Japanese
activities. People thus became
suspicious of one another as anyone
could be accused of being antiJapanese.

My mother got beaten up very badly because she

didnt want to bow to the guard. The Japanese felt that
you were bowing to the Emperor if you were bowing to
the guard. So if you didnt bow, you were showing
great disrespect towards the Emperor, who was also
called the Son of Heaven.
- Adapted from an account by Joseph Seah, who was a
teenager during the Japanese Occupation.

Daily Life in Syonan-to

The people were also living in hardship.
The war had disrupted trade, which
limited the import of goods into
Singapore from overseas. Furthermore,
most of the available resources were
chanelled to Japans war efforts rather
than to the people.
As a result, there was a shortage of
goods. Rationing was thus introduced
to control the sale of essential items.

Daily Life in Syonan-to

Goods were also sold at high prices on the black
market because of the shortage of goods. Some
people were able to obtain more goods by working
for the Japanese. They sold these goods to other
people at very high prices on the black market.
This situation was worsened by the decreasing
value of the new currency introduced by the
Japanese. The Japanese government printed more
notes whenever they saw a need for money. As a
result, the currency became worthless.

Daily Life in Syonan-to

However, people found other ways to
survive.
Some took on second jobs. Many
women also joined the workforce for
the first time.
People also used substitutes for
items they lacked.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
ZKataKQFxQ8

Daily Life in Syonan-to

While the experience of Japanese Occupation
was difficult, it was also a time when some
people formed bonds of friendship.
Because we were under enemy occupation, we were all friends. It
was during the Japanese Occupation that we had the opportunity to
make friends with teachers from the Chinese-, Malay-, and Tamilmedium schools. It was the first time I learnt about other people
how they lived, their difficulties, their problems.
- Adapted from an account by Lim Choo Sye, a teacher during the
Japanese Occupation. Before the Japanese Occupation, he was a
teacher in an English-medium school.

How might this have shaped the

peoples views of Singapore as
home?

Daily Life in Syonan-to

Some people also found that they became
self-reliant during the Japanese Occupation.
I think the people had a newfound sense of responsibility.
Previously, we depended on the colonial government. We
just took orders and then carried them out. But during the
Japanese Occupation, we felt that we had to do things
ourselves.
- Account by Benjamin Chew, a doctor during the Japanese
Occupation

How might this have shaped the

peoples views of Singapore as
home?

Resisting the Japanese

Even though the Japanese tried to win
the support of the people, many
people in Singapore became antiJapanese. They either joined or
supported anti-Japanese movements.
The two main anti-Japanese
resistance movements in Singapore
were Force 136 and the Malayan
Peoples Anti-Japanese Army (MPAJA).

Led by

Resistance
efforts

Force 136
The British War
Cabinet with the
help of a
prominent
businessman,
Lim Bo Seng

Collecting
information
about the
Japanese and
organising
attacks
whenever
possible

MPAJA
Lai Teck, a senior
communist leader
from Vietnam and
his right-hand
man, Chin Peng, a
Malayan Chinese
from the state of
Perak.
Operated mainly in
the jungles of
Perak and Johor.
Launched attacks
on Japanese
troops, policemen
and locals who
worked with the