Chapter 5

Did the Japanese Occupation Change the Way People Viewed Singapore?

I See… I Think… I Wonder… I Connect

Jan 1942: Women mourn the loss of their loved ones during one of the frequent Japanese air raids on

Singapore during which thousands died.

So you think you know the J.O. well?

Take the Truth or Lie challenge NOW!

Did the Japanese Occupation Change the Way People Viewed Singapore?

Did the Japanese Occupation change the way people viewed Singapore?

1942-1945, when Singapore was under the rule of the Japanese military government

Change takes place when something is different from its original state or what it used to be

Immigrants + those born in Singapore

The different ways in which people viewed Singapore

1) Singapore as ‘home’2) British as rulers of

Singapore3) Singapore as an

‘impregnable fortress’

Historical concept: Change & Continuity

• Change takes place when something is different from its original state or what it used to be. If it remains the same, there is continuity.

• Something or someone causes change to take place.

Did the Japanese Occupation change the way people viewed Singapore?

The different ways in which people viewed Singapore

1) Singapore as ‘home’2) British as rulers of Singapore3) Singapore as an ‘impregnable fortress’

Singapore as ‘Home’:Before the Japanese Occupation

• Group Investigation:

Read Sources A-E and answer the questions in Annex A:

Source A – Account by an Indian immigrant who came to Singapore to look for work in the 1930s

Their [Indian immigrants’] main intention was to earn money and go back to India. They came to Singapore not to stay here permanently. Their main aim was to earn and send money to India, and go back and live in India.

Source B – Adapted from textbook, pages 11-13

The immigrants felt attached to their homelands. They kept updated on the developments in their countries of origin in the early 20th century.

For example:1. The Indian immigrants supported Mahatma Ghandi’s movement to gain

independence from Singapore through the activities of the Indian Youth League.

2. Many Chinese in Singapore also contributed funds to China to support the revolutionary movement in removing the weak and corrupt Qing government. Some even returned to China to fight against the Qing government. When the Qing government was overthrown in 1911, many Chinese men cut off their queues, a pigtail hairstyle that was required by the Qing government, to show their patriotism towards China.

Source C – a news article taken from the Singapore Free Press, 3 Oct 1938.

The first paragraph reads, “Singapore Indians, men and women, mostly dressed

in khaddar with Gandhi caps on, crowded into Farrer Park yesterday to celebrate the 70th birthday of Mahatma

Gandhi, the Indian leader.”

Source D – adapted from textbook page 14

There were also people who did think of Singapore as their permanent home. These were usually those who were born in Singapore and had lived in Singapore for a long time. Singapore was where their families and friends were. Some of them went to English-medium schools and adopted Western lifestyle. They took pride in being British subjects. Because of their English education, they could work in the British colonial service.

Source E – S.R. Nathan’s account, written in 1924

My family has been in Singapore for two generations. We do not know exactly where my forebears originated, but it was somewhere in southern India. I never knew much about my father’s background… we were localised – my mother was very Malay in her style of dress. India did not figure at all in in our lives.

Answer the following questions:

People’s views before the Japanese Occupation (Singapore as ‘home’):

1) Were people born in Singapore or did they come from other countries?

2) Did those who came from other countries want to stay in Singapore permanently?

3) Did they have family and friends in Singapore?

4) Were they interested in contributing to Singapore or to other countries?

Singapore as ‘home’

1) Were people born in Singapore or did they come from other countries? Some were born in Singapore, most from other countries

2) Did those who came from other countries want to stay in Singapore permanently? no

3) Did they have family and friends in Singapore? Those who came from other countries had not many family and friends, but those who were born in Singapore did have family and friends here.

4) Were they interested in contributing to Singapore or to other countries? Yes (for those who were born in Singapore) and No (for those who came to Singapore just to look for jobs)

What does Source B tell you about the Japanese soldiers? Explain your answer.

 • Source B A cartoon about life in

Singapore during the Japanese Occupation

 

Did the Japanese Occupation change the way people viewed Singapore?

The different ways in which people viewed Singapore

1) Singapore as ‘home’

2)British as rulers of Singapore3) Singapore as an ‘impregnable fortress’

British as Rulers of Singapore

• The British believed that they were superior. Thus, there was very little local involvement in the government. Even the well-qualified local people were not given important positions in the government. They were only involved as non-official members in the Legislative Council and had very little influence over government policies.

British as Rulers of Singapore

• The British were also given privileged treatment.

Source F – adapted from account by Francis Thomas, a British teacher in Singapore in the 1930s:

“My starting salary of $400 was far higher than Mr Tan Ah Hung’s, even though Mr Tan was a senior Chinese teacher and had many years of most valued service. Salary and skin colour were what mattered, not personal merit and achievement.”

• Some people questioned this unequal system. For example, the local non-official members in the Legislative Council tried to negotiate for more local involvement in the government. Others formed associations such as the Singapore Malay Union to improve the lives of the people.

British as Rulers of Singapore

• At the same time, there were people who were less concerned about Singapore’s political future and did not question the unequal system.

Stop and think: Why do you think this group of people were indifferent?

Answer the following questions in Annex A

British as rulers of Singapore:

1) What was people’s impressions of the British?

2) Did they respect the British?

3) Did they accept the way the British ruled Singapore?

1930s: The Japanese threat is looming!

1931: Japan invaded Manchuria

1937: Japan invaded the rest of China.

1938: the USA cut off its oil supply to Japan to force Japan to end the war. Japan refused and looked towards Southeast Asia for alternative sources for raw materials.

Why was the Southeast Asia so attractive to the Japanese?

• Dutch East Indies: abundant oil

• Malaya: rubber and tin

• Singapore ???

Singapore as an ‘Impregnable Fortress’

• In the 1920s, the British had realised that Japan was a possible threat to the British Empire and started preparing to resist Japanese expansion.

• The British– built a large naval base in Singapore to protect British colonies in

Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand. This was completed in 1938.

– Installed a series of big guns around the coasts of Singapore to protect against any Japanese invasion by sea.

– Early Dec 1941: Deployed a fleet of warplanes as well as 2 battleships (HMS Prince of Wales, HMS Repulse) to station in Singapore

Why impregnable Fortress?

A) Natural Barrier of Malayan Forest

B) Fortification of the island

C) Naval base and support

• The geography of Malaya is a factor in it defence. The coastal plains are about fifteen miles in width and filled with mangrove swamps.

• The mountain range which runs from north to south is covered with dense jungle and vast areas which are almost unknown. Roads are few and heavily guarded.

• Any invading army would be at the mercy of the defenders securely hidden in the jungle.

1)Natural barrier of the Malayan Jungle

Jungle……

• Sharp shooter crew in the Malayan Jungle

The challenges of the Malayan jungle

• 15-inch guns mounted on ships and faced the sea to prevent any attacks from the sea.

• There were many guns/cannons mounted at strategic areas around the island as well as key offshore island like Sentosa.

• Building of military airfields and underground bunkers.

2) Fortification of the island

The Johor Battery, built in 1939, was the main artillery battery of the British coastal

artillery defence network set up on

the northeast coast of Singapore.

Fortress and defence

Singapore: An impregnable fortress

How did people view the British defences in Singapore?

• Account by Ismail bin Zain, a clerk in Singapore in the 1930s:

They [the British] talked about Singapore as an impregnable fortress. As far as I knew… they had quite a lot of big guns here… and they had concrete beach defences… I thought the defence was quite good.

How did people view the British defences in Singapore?

A young British army officer complaining that the newly completed defences in Singapore might put off the Japanese from landing there:

"I do hope we are not getting too strong in Malaya because if so the Japanese may never attempt a landing.”

3) Naval base and Supports

• ‘Main fleet to Singapore strategy’- Prince of Wales and Repulse

• Naval base built in Sembawang • Many people believed that Singapore was safe

as it was well-protected by the British as the British were known for their naval power.

• They also thought that the ‘white man’ was superior to other races

Most advanced Naval base

Answer the following questions in Annex A

Singapore as an ‘impregnable fortress’:

1) Did people feel safe in Singapore?

2) Were they confident about Singapore’s defences?

3) Were they worried about war?

Why did the British fail to stop the

Japanese?

Why did the British fail to stop the Japanese?

Factors Japanese British

Priority - to conquer countries in SEA for raw materials

- clear objectives of conquering Singapore

- war in Europe was more important

Equipment - had tanks and modern weapons

- appropriate transport (bikes)

- did not have tanks

Leadership - effective and skilful - effective strategies- well prepared (had spies)

- not decisive or forceful- officers could not agree

with one another Troops - well-trained in jungle

warfare- committed and loyal

- not well-trained in jungle warfare

- disorganized and complacent

Why did the British fail to stop the Japanese?

SIA PLANES

Japanese Soldiers

Japanese Intelligence

Japanese Imperial Army

Japanese Zero Fighter Planes

Japanese Intelligence

• The Japanese set up Intelligence Services in Malaya and Singapore. This provided them with information on British Defence and readiness.

• Read the bottom paragraph of page 101 for 5 minutes

Japanese Soldiers (pg 102)

• Better trained in Jungle Warfare.

• Besides using tanks, they were also able to use Bicycles to move swiftly down the jungles of Malaya.

Japanese Imperial Army

• Had a large modern Airforce and Naval fleet.• “Would die for the country” fighting spirit and

Kamikazes.

Japanese Zero Fighter Planes

• Destroyed half of the Old and Outdated British planes.

• 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)

Japanese force: ambitious, resourceful and well-prepared.

On the other hand….

Weakness of the British Army

Weakness of British Army

• The British thought Tanks were unsuitable for Jungle warfare.

• They were no match against the Well-Trained Japanese Soldiers.

The British – were too complacent. They believed that their

measures to defend Singapore were adequate; that Singapore was well-defended

– 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 at Pearl Harbour if the Japanese really attacked.

British: overconfident and unprepared, and 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.

• These were the reasons why Singapore fell to the Japanese in 1942!!!!

British: tied up elsewhere

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

Motivational Quote