Chapter 6: What did the People in SG Experience During the JO?

Question 1

Explain how the Japanese used propaganda to win loyalty of the locals.

Answer 1

• They spread messages through various channels (like posters and radio broadcasts).
• Japanese promised to help the Indian community to free India from the British.
• They tried to convince the locals to accept their vision of the Greater East-Asia Co-prosperity Sphere

This led to:

• Japanese being portrayed as liberators that would help the locals to free themselves from their colonial masters.
• Increase in political awareness of the locals
• Japanese seen as trying to help the locals
• Allowed Japanese to maintain control of Singapore by gaining support from the locals.

Question 2

Name 3 groups of locals that resisted Japanese rule.

Answer 2

Malay Regiment, Malayan People’s Anti-Japanese Army (MPAJA), Force 136

Question 3

List and elaborate how the Japanese Occupation affected the prisoners of war.

Question 4

Explain how the Japanese provided benefits to win loyalty of the locals.

Answer 4

• Japanese provided benefits like schooling and accommodation at no cost.
• The Japanese appealed to some ethnic groups by giving the favourable treatment (e.g. Kesatuan Melayu responded positively to the Japanese propaganda that promised better lives for Malays under Asian power.)
• E.g. Both Malays and Indians were charged lower fees to cross the Causeway.

This led to:

• Positive outcomes:
• Malays and Indians treated less harshly by the Japanese.
• Both races also had an increased QOL and SOL.
• Increased loyalty and support of the Malays and Indians towards the Japanese.
• Allowed the Japanese to maintain control of Singapore by gaining support from the locals.

Question 5

Explain three factors of the daily lives of people that were affected by the Japanese Occupation in detail.

Answer 5

Disruption of trade
- Limited import of goods into SG from overseas

Rations

• Essential food items such as rice, salt and sugar were strictly rationed
• The locals had to use ration coupons to obtain a fixed quantity

Inflation
- The shortage drove prices of essential goods upwards causing drastic inflation

Question 6

Give 3 example of how the Japanese was able to maintain control by using force?

Answer 6

Meting out harsh punishments, Imprisoning allied soldiers, Carrying out Operation Sook Ching and coercing the Chinese business community

Question 7

What are some of the challenges that the locals and/or the Prisoners of War faced during the Japanese Occupation?

Answer 7

• Dealing with food shortages
• Disease and death (of POWs)
• The relocation of locals
• Living in fear

Question 8

Describe why and how the group of locals resisted Japanese rule.

Answer 8

Malay Regiment: Some senior officers refused to pledge loyalty to and fight for Japan. This is because the British took good care of them since they were loyal to Singapore.

MPAJA: They would deliberately attack Japanese officers and men and distributed anti-Japanese newspaper and posters. Many members of the MPAJA were Chinese fighters. This meant that they had bad impressions of the Japanese since Japan attacked their homeland, China. Due to the war in China, Chinese members of MPAJA would resist the Japanese

Force 136: They were a secret organisation set up by the British to gather intelligence about the Japanese. They were loyal to the British and were working with British colonial masters.

Question 9

Explain why and how the group of locals collaborated with Japanese rule.

Answer 9

Malays: They were given duties like policing and being part of neighbourhood associations. They acted as spies for the Japanese and were treated less harshly under the Japanese Occupation compared to under the British rule.

Question 10

Describe

Question 11

What are the negative outcomes of meting out harsh punishments?

Answer 11

Meting out harsh punishments led to increase in fear of the potential consequences and increase in suspicion among people as they trusted each other less.

Question 12

Describe 2 problems faced by the British after WWII (D-EX).

Answer 12

Food shortages: Rice-producing countries were unable to produce enough rice to sell overseas. War destroyed a large number of merchant ships for shipping and a disruptions of rice. Sunken ships blocked the harbour and hence there were a few warehouses available for storage.

Economic difficulties: British Military Administration (BMA) declared the banana notes were no longer the official currency of Singapore. Hence, those who did not keep the Straits dollar had to borrow notes from others to survive.

School disruptions: Schooling was disrupted during the war for many people in Singapore. Many books were destroyed; school facilities were unavailable too.

Question 13

Describe how and why operation Sook Ching was carried out. (Provide at least 3 examples)

Answer 13

• To identify and eliminate anti-Japanese elements among the local population.
• It was a brutal purge where the Kempeitai were placed in charge of this operation
• The Japanese would require all Chinese men aged 18-50 to assemble at mass screening centres like the YMCA building at Stamford Road to be examined by the Japanese.
• Informants would identify people who were suspected of being anti-Japanese and pass on the information to the Kempeitai
• Those who were not identified would receive a stamp on a piece of paper, clothing, face, arm, or shoulder, which meant that they have been examined and they could go home.

Question 14

How did solving the problems faced by the locals benefit the locals?

Answer 14

Food shortages: Clearing the harbour so that ships could enter the port lead to an increase in the supply of essential food into the country. The number of deaths from hunger and starvation then decreased. The QOL and SOL improved. The free meals provided for children under six years increased the confidence of locals towards the BMA government.
Economic difficulties: Issuing the special grants to help them to make ends meet lead to the increase in ability to buy essential food and necessities for survival improved the QOL and SOL. The locals also had more confidence towards the BMA government.
School disruptions: Reopening schools quickly for children of school age as well as overaged children who has received little education during the JO. Grants and waived school fees for children from needy families were provided. The increases in employment of these students into more variety of jobs led to more pay for the locals with better educational prospects. This improved the QOL and SOL

Question 15

Explain how the Japanese imposed Japanese culture/taught the Japanese language to win loyalty of the locals.

Answer 15

• Students were taught to speak and write in Japanese in place of English.
• Lessons were conducted over the school’s broadcasting services.
• Japanese education authorities also published a series of Nippon-go readers for beginners which praised the beauty and greatness of Japan.
• Adults also had to learn Nippon-go through attending language classes several times a week.
• Competitions, awards, extra rations, salary increments and promotions were used to motivate people to learn the Japanese language.

This lead to:

• Positive outcomes:
• Increased in Japanese spirit of Singapore population
• Increase in trust of the Singapore population towards the Japanese
• Allowed Japanese to maintain control of locals by gaining support from them

Question 16

Explain how did the Japanese forced a change in the economy by coercing the Chinese community.

Answer 16

• They targeted Chinese businessmen in Singapore because of their generous contribution to the China Relief Fund, which supported China’s resistance against the Japanese government.
• The Japanese demanded a gift of 50million Strait dollars to the Japanese administration.
• This served as a punishment to the Chinese community in Malaya and Singapore for supporting the anti-Japanese war activities in China as well as British war efforts in Malaya.