War Memory and the Making of Modern Malaysia and SingaporeSingapore fell to Japan on 15 February 1942. Within days, the Japanese had massacred thousands of Chinese civilians, and taken prisoner more than 100,000 British, Australian and Indian soldiers. A resistance movement formed in Malaya's jungle-covered mountains, but the vast majority could do little other than resign themselves to life under Japanese rule. The Occupation would last three and a half years, until the return of the British in September 1945. How is this period remembered? And how have individuals, communities, and states shaped and reshaped memories in the postwar era? The book response to these questions, presenting answers that use the words of Chinese, Malays, Indians, Eurasians, British and Australians who personally experienced the war years. The authors guide readers through many forms of memory: from the soaring pillars of Singapore's Civilian War Memorial, to traditional Chinese cemeteries in Malaysia; and from families left bereft by Japanese massacres, to the young women who flocked to the Japanese-sponsored Indian National Army, dreaming of a march on Delhi. This volume provides a forum for previously marginalized and self-censored voices, using the stories they relate to reflect on the nature of conflict and memory. They also offer a deeper understanding of the searing transit from wartime occupation to post-war decolonization and the moulding of postcolonial states and identities. |
Contents
Introduction | 3 |
Personal Narratives of British Defeat and Japanese Occupation | 14 |
1i Three war veterans at the September 2005 Forum | 15 |
2ii K R Das and his Japanese friend Kikuchi Sekine | 25 |
3i Mohd Anis bin Tairan being interviewed by Kevin | 46 |
The European Prisoner of War as Hero and Victim | 53 |
1iii Australian exPOWs watching Japanese POWs | 59 |
2i Singapore Cenotaph | 66 |
Malay Warriors and Pemuda | 207 |
1v Lieutenant Adnan Saidi | 213 |
3xiii Sergeant Hassan poster | 230 |
5i Tugu Negara | 239 |
Malay Victims | 243 |
Nations and States | 253 |
Memory and NationBuilding in Malaysia | 255 |
1i National Museum of History 19962007 Kuala | 264 |
4iv Malaya Tribune cartoon on postwar conditions | 75 |
6i Changi Chapel as built by the Singapore Tourism | 86 |
The Nativity Scene | 92 |
The Chinese War Hero | 96 |
1vi Cheng Seang Ho at the opening of the Kranji | 111 |
3viii Lim Bo Seng with Force 136 colleague John Davis | 126 |
Chinese Victimhood | 135 |
1v Remains from the 1960s Chinese Chamber | 139 |
6xii The Winning Design for the Civilian War Memo | 166 |
Indian Nationalism and Suffering | 174 |
2iii Emaciated patients in a hospital hut at Nakom | 179 |
Common terms and phrases
15 February Ahmad anti-Japanese Army Asia Asian August Australian Azad Hind blood debt Bose British Military Administration Burma-Thailand Railway Centre ceremony Changi Prison Chew Jit Poh Chin Peng China Chinese Chamber Civilian War Memorial collective memory colonial commemoration communist Daily Mail Dalforce Death Railway December Defence Eurasian Fall of Singapore forced labourers groups guerrillas Hang Tuah heroes independence Indian Daily Mail Indian National internees January Japan Japanese Occupation Johor joined July Karl Hack Kevin Blackburn Kranji Kuala Lumpur leaders Lee Kuan Yew Lieutenant Adnan Lim Bo Seng Malay nationalism Malay Regiment Malaya and Singapore Malaysia March massacre Melayu Mohd monument MPAJA Nanyang Siang Pau nationalist Negeri Sembilan Netaji November October officers organisations Overseas Chinese People’s political postwar POWs Press Prime Minister Rani of Jhansi Selangor September Sheppard Siglap Singapore’s soldiers sook ching story Straits Tairan Tunku Abdul Rahman UMNO veterans victims Volunteer wartime