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?

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

Did the Japanese Occupation change

the way people viewed Singapore?
Immigrants +
those born in
Singapore

The different ways in

which people viewed
Singapore
1) Singapore as home
2) British as rulers of
Singapore
3) 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 Singapore
3)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 20 th
century.
For example:
1. The Indian immigrants supported Mahatma Ghandis 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. Nathans 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
fathers 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:
Peoples 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)

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
Singapore
3)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
Hungs, 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
Singapores 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 peoples 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

1)Natural barrier of the Malayan

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

Jungle

 Sharp shooter crew in the Malayan

Jungle

The challenges of the Malayan jungle

2) Fortification of the island

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.

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 strategyPrince 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
Singapores defences?
3) Were they worried about war?

Group Activity: SBQ

Please get into group of 4.
In your group of 4, you are to come
out with the answer to the SBQ
question assigned to your group.
Your group has a total of 15 minutes
to complete the task.
The minimum word count for your
answer must be 50 words(min)

What does source A tell you about the British view

of Japanese soldier? EYA.

What do you mean by making fun?

Good? /bad?/
respectful?/disrespectful?
What did they say about the
Japanese?
Appearance and capabilities