Impact of the Japanese occupation on People's views towards Singapore ( #1 )

The Japanese know that there were big guns along the coast of Singapore , thus making a invasion by sea dangerous . They decided to invade Singapore from the north .They landed at Kota Bahru in Kelantan in December 1941 and successfully defeated the British forces . later then they invaded johor Bahru and ready to invade Singapore .
British was unable to send adequate reinforcements to defend Singapore . It had to concentrate most of its military forces in Europe and North Africa due to the fact it was the only European allied country left to fight against the Axis powers which were quickly expanding into Europe and North Africa then.

within eight days , the British surrendered .


when the British were defeated after they were claiming to be the strongest nation in the world ,
you question , " why is this superior , strongest nation in the world being beaten , but beaten within two weeks, with all of Singapore gone ? " you asked yourself why .
- adapted from an account of Lee Kip Lin as a teenager at the time of the British surrender .

^the surrender of the British

promoting Asia for Asians
Dispelling the  myth of the " white man " superiority
\with the fall of the Britain's " impregnable fortress " , Singapore came under the rule of the Japanese
Central Military Administration. Singapore was renamed as Syonan-to , meaning " light of south " .
People had few means to flee Singapore as shipping during this period was disrupted thus , they
had to face life under the rule of the new Japanese leaders .

^ a parade of Japanese soldiers walking through a street in Singapore
The Japanese sought to dispel the myth of the " white man" superiority ,
The Japanese interned the Australians , the British and other Europeans , including woman and
children , at the Sime Road Camp , Selarang Barracks and Changi Jail .


we remembered seeing the British marched to change 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 .

- Adapted from an account by Gay Wan Guay , who witnessed the march of the British to the internment camps .



 

The Japanese ordered the Allied prisoners of war ( POWs ) to do tasks such as repairing and cleaning the dock facilities , water works and the airfield damaged by the Japanese bombs during the invasion .In the camp , little food was given to the POWs but many tasks were given ,
thus the POWs became very thin and malnourished .