History Flashcards
How did the Japanese establish control in Singapore? (Punishment)
The Japanese used force to establish control in Singapore by meting out harsh punishments. Throughout the Japanese Occupation,
harsh punishments were imposed on criminals and other people seen by the Japanese as their enemies.
For example, to put an end to the local looting that happened just after the British
surrender, the Japanese executed those who were caught.
The heads were displayed publicly in places such as the open area outside the Cathay
Building, and on bridges across the Singapore River.
LINK: Such harsh punishments created fear and served as severe warnings to the
people about the potential consequences of going against the Japanese.
One group that many people feared above all was the Kempeitai, the Japanese
military police. The Kempeitai arrested those who were suspected of being anti-
Japanese.
Incentives
Food or cash rewards were offered to encourage people to inform the authorities of
anyone they suspected of being involved in anti-Japanese activities.
As a result, nobody knew whom to trust and people became suspicious of one
another. Anti-Japanese suspects would be beaten or tortured until they revealed
information that the Japanese wanted.
In some cases, those suspected of anti-Japanese activities were imprisoned or
executed.
Over time, many people learnt to go about their business quietly and not appear
disobedient in case they drew the unwanted attention of the Japanese authorities.
Imprisoning allied soldiers
The Japanese used force to establish control in Singapore by imprisoning allied soldiers.
When the Japanese took control of the island, they had plans to deal with the Allied
troops and the people in Singapore.
One of the first things that the Japanese did was to imprison the British, Australians
and Allied Europeans in Singapore, including women and children.
The Allied prisoners of war (POWs) were forced to march in public from Bukit Timah
Road to Changi Prison and the barracks nearby, where they would be imprisoned.
WHY? They did this to prevent the Europeans from fighting back and to make an
example of the Europeans who resisted the Japanese invasion of Singapore.
Coercing Chinese community
The Japanese used force to establish control in Singapore by coercing the Chinese business
community.
The Japanese targeted Chinese businessmen in Singapore due to their generous
contributions to the China Relief Fund, which supported China’s resistance against
Japan.
The Overseas Chinese Association (OCA) was created to act as a channel of
communication between the Chinese community and the Japanese government. Dr
Lim Boon Keng was appointed to head the OCA.
The Japanese demanded that the OCA gift 50 million Straits dollars to the Japanese
administration.
This was to punish the Chinese community in Malaya and Singapore for supporting
anti-Japanese war activities in China as well as British war efforts in Malaya and
Singapore.
Gaining loyalty through propaganda
The Japanese also established control by winning loyalty through using propaganda.
In addition to using force to assert their authority, the Japanese also sought to win
over the locals in order to establish control over Singapore.
One way they did so was to use propaganda to influence the minds of the people in
Singapore and to gain their loyalty.
The Japanese portrayed themselves as liberators who had come to free Asians from
colonial rule.
They tried to convince the locals to accept their version of the Greater East Asia Co-
Prosperity Sphere in which Japan would free Asian nations from the control of
Western colonial powers.
This version also pressed for a united Asia that would benefit from sharing resources
collectively.
These messages were spread through various channels such as posters and radio
broadcasts.
Providing benefits to locals
The Japanese established control by winning loyalty through providing benefits to the locals.
They provided free schooling and accommodation to win over the local population. For example, school textbooks were provided free of charge to 20,000 students in 1944. By doing this, the Japanese hoped that they could win over the local’s support for them and with support and confidence invested in the Japanese, the locals would give them loyalty.
The Japanese established control by winning loyalty through the formation of the Indian National Army (INA) in order to get the Indian community to look upon the Japanese favourably.
The Japanese were aware of the rising anti-British sentiment in the Indian immigrant community.
The INA was thus formed with the Japanese support to recruit Indians to fight against the British in India. It was led by Subhas Chandra Bose, a prominent Indian politician who campaigned for India’s Independence from British rule. His charismatic presence attracted many new recruits, and the Japanese were able to gain the loyalty of many Indians. The common need to rid the British colonialists from
Asian counterparts, made the Japanese see the Indian National Army as supporters and thus gaining their loyalty will help in their fight against the British.
Imposing Japanese culture: teaching jap language
One way the Japanese imposed their culture was through the teaching of the
Japanese language (Nippon-go).
Students were taught to speak in Japanese instead of English.
These lessons were conducted daily over the school’s broadcasting services.
To help learn the Japanese language, Japanese education authorities published a
series of Nippon-go readers for beginners.
The books were full of praise for the beauty and greatness of Japan.
Through teaching the Japanese language the Japanese hoped to promote their
culture. (And through that, win support for their cause.)
Imposing jap culture: cultivating jap spirit
Another way the Japanese imposed their culture was through the promotion of
Nippon seishin (Japanese spirit) to foster a sense of loyalty and identity.
During morning assembly in school, students had to sing “Kimigayo”, the Japanese
national anthem, and bow before the picture of the Japanese Emperor before the day
began.
They were also taught to sing Japanese folk songs.
Through the promotion of the Japanese spirit, the Japanese imposed their culture
onto the locals
Dealing with shortages
Daily life is about struggling for survival by dealing with shortages.
The war had disrupted trade, which limited the import of goods into Singapore from
overseas.
Most of the available resources were channelled to Japan’s war efforts rather than to
the people.
As a result, there was a shortage of food and essential items. After the first few
weeks of the Japanese Occupation, essential food items such as rice, salt and sugar
were strictly rationed.
The locals were limited to a fixed quantity of essential items that they could obtain
using ration coupons.
The shortage of items drove prices up as shops did not have enough goods to cater
to the needs of the people.
The prices of essential goods increased rapidly over time, causing drastic inflation.
As a result, the black market flourished. People had to pay extremely high prices for
necessities.
The Japanese government responded by printing more money, resulting in massive
drops in the value of the banana notes. By the end of the Japanese Occupation,
these notes had essentially become worthless.
Analysis:
Disease and death
Healthcare and sanitation, which had hardly been a priority of the colonial authorities before
the outbreak of war, worsened during the Japanese Occupation.
Furthermore, the local population was weakened by food shortages. The death rate
climbed as a result.
Between 1942 and 1945, 130,000 deaths were officially reported. This was more
than double the number between 1937 and 1940.
The primary causes of death? Beriberi (disease caused by vitamin B1 deficiency),
pneumonia, and dysentery (lung infection).
One group that endured particularly harsh living conditions were the POWs and
civilian prisoners. They faced continual shortages of food and medicine, as well as
acute overcrowding.
For instance, while Changi Prison was designed for a maximum of 600 prisoners,
more than 5,000 people were packed into that very compound.
In addition, the Japanese used POWs as a form of forced labour.
They were made to clear war damage, bury the dead and build Japanese memorial
shrines.
They were also sent to work on the Siam-Burma Railway from May 1942, which killed
more than 16,000 people.
Analysis: How life was a struggle for life and death….
Relocations
During the Japanese Occupation, people were encouraged to strive for self-
sufficiency by growing their own food, which included vegetables, tapioca and sweet
potatoes.
When this failed to ease the shortage, the Japanese resorted to relocating people
from Singapore to increase agricultural output.
A) The Chinese were encouraged to move to the Endau settlement in Johor, due to
its rich soil and ample water supply, making it extremely suitable for agriculture.
In addition, the settlement had street lamps, a hospital, chapel, and many coffee
shops. However, attacks by bandits and anti-Japanese armed groups later disrupted
the peace in the area.
B) Soon after, the Japanese created the Bahau settlement for Eurasians and
Chinese Roman Catholics. However, due to its hilly terrain, agriculture was close to
impossible. Hence many people resorted to eating rats and maggots, which led to
their deaths.
Analysis: Such poor living standards and undesirable living conditions, affected overall
health and spread of disease and ultimately many died.
Leisure and entertainment
However, the Japanese authorities allowed some leisure activities and entertainment to
continue in order to maintain the appearance of a harmonious and happy society.
They introduced radio programmes consisting of Japanese songs, Malay music, and
news in Hokkien and Cantonese.
Japanese moves and documentaries in cinemas and free open-air screenings of
propaganda shows.
In addition, the Japanese officials encouraged sports and cultural activities to reduce
the stress of wartime conditions on the local population.
Notices of football, baseball, tennis, and badminton matches appeared almost every
day in the media.
Boxing matches took place at Kim Seng Road, and the police band even performed
at the Botanic gardens.
Having to endure miserable living conditions, the POWs also tried to keep their spirits up by
organising and participating in social, religious, and sporting activities. These examples
include publishing a newspaper, organising theatrical performances and church services,
and painting murals at Changi Chapel.
Locals response to Japanese: collab
The Japanese actively sought the support of the Malays in administering Japanese rule.
Some of the duties given to the Malays included policing and being part of neighbourhood
associations that would report on suspected hostile activity against the regime. Other groups
were also enlisted to assist the Japanese in establishing their authority. They include some
Chinese who became informants for the Kempeitai during Operation Sook Ching, helping to
root out those seen to be anti-Japanese.
Response to jap: resistance
a) For example, 7 Malay Regiment Senior Officers refused to pledge loyalty to and fight
for Japan. They were subsequently executed.
b) Others, on the other hand, responded by taking up arms against the Japanese
government by joining forces.
Two prominent groups were the Malayan People’s Anti-Japanese army (MPAJA) and
Force 136.
Both groups looked to drive the Japanese out of Singapore, with the help of the
British.
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They would carry out sabotage attacks on Japanese officers and their men whenever
they had the chance to do so.
They also aroused anti-Japanese sentiments among the people by distributing anti-
Japanese newspapers and posters.
Force 136 was a secret organisation set up by the British. They would gather
information about the Japanese and also organize sabotage activities.
One notable figure in the resistance was Lim Bo Seng, a local businessman. When the war
between Japan and China broke out, he organized anti-Japanese activities such as the
boycott of goods. After the fall of Singapore, he was recruited as an agent of Force 136 and
also linked up with local resistance organizations such as the Malayan Communist Party to
fight against the Japanese through guerrilla tactics. Unfortunately, he was later captured and
tortured by the Japanese in March 1944, where he eventually died in prison on June 29,
1944.
Another prominent figure was Elizabeth Choy. Being a canteen worker at the Mental hospital
(Present Day IMH). They secretly delivered food, money, medicine and messages to British
POWs. As a result, she was imprisoned and tortured by the Japanese at the Kempeitai
headquarters on Stamford Road for nearly 200 days. After the war, however, she did not
name her torturers, saying that they had acted the way they did due to war circumstances. In
recognition of her courage, she was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) and the
order of the Star of Sarawak.
Economic difficulties
The BMA declared that the banana notes were no longer the official currency of Singapore.
This meant that those who had not kept the Straits dollar had to borrow from others to survive.
To ease the situation, the BMA issued special grants to the locals. However, the grants were often not sufficient for large families to make ends meet.
Food shortages
The most urgent issue was the shortage of food, due to wartime and post-war disruptions of production and shipping.
Rice-Producing countries such as Thailand were unable to produce enough rice to sell overseas.
Furthermore, it was difficult for rice that was produced to even reach, much less to be distributed to Singaporeans.
As the war had destroyed a large number of merchant ships. The harbour was also blocked by sunken boats.
In order to deal with this problem, the BMA gradually cleared the harbour in order for ships to enter the port.
It also controlled the prices of essential/daily supplies, as well as providing free meals for children less than 6 years old.
Schooling disruptions
Despite the promise by the Japanese of greater educational opportunities, the war disrupted schooling in Singapore.
To ensure the continuation of education, the BMA opened schools quickly in October 1945 for children of schooling age as well as overaged children who had received little education during the Occupation. They also provided grants and waived school fees for children from needy families.
How external developments in post-war period affected Singapore. WEAKENING OF COLONIAL RULE
Even before World War II, anti-colonial sentiments had arisen in many places due to the
suffering caused by European colonial rule.
The defeat of European forces by an Asian power, the Japanese Empire, and the subsequent Japanese Occupation further accelerated the growth of anti-colonial feelings.
After the Japanese surrender, people in different places saw the chance to revolt against their European colonial rulers and take control of their own destinies. India, the most populous British colony, gained independence in 1947. This encouraged those who had long wished to be free from British rule.
How external developments in post-war period affected Singapore. GROWING INFLUENCE OF COMMUNISM
At the end of World War 2, a new kind of conflict emerged.
This conflict became known as the “Cold War”. It was a war between two very powerful countries, the United States and the Soviet Union.
Both had large populations, strong militaries, and rich resources. Although they had been allies during World War II, their difference in ideology made continued cooperation after the war unsustainable. Communism opposed colonial rule for its exploitation for people.
As an ally of the United States, Britain was concerned that its colonies would fall under communist control in their fight for independence.
In Singapore, the Malay Communist Party gained popularity amongst the people, especially those in the Chinese community.
Thus, the British were worried that communism would influence Singapore as they fought for independence, mainly caused by the popularity of the communist parties amongst the people of Singapore.
Shortage of housing (post war)
Much housing had been destroyed or become run-down during wartime.
Furthermore, Singapore’s population was rapidly growing as it experienced a post-war baby boom and had one of the highest birth rates in the world in the 1940s and 1950s. As a result many people lived in increasingly overcrowded conditions.
A significant portion of the population lived in slums. To address the problem, the
Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT) accelerated its building programme. The SIT had been established in 1927 by the British to provide low-cost housing.
Between 1947 and 1959, It built 1742 units per year, which was far below the estimated 10,000 units per year required to meet the growing population’s housing needs. Despite the SIT’s efforts, housing shortages persisted and many continued to live in cramped conditions throughout the 1950s.
Food shortage (post war) worsened by the increasing population
The war had disrupted shipping, affecting the flow of food supplies into Singapore.
Besides, neighbouring rice-producing countries did not have sufficient rice to export to Singapore. As a result, wartime food rationing continued. Malnutrition was widespread
and wages could not keep up with the increasing food prices.
The British were worried that the food shortages would lead to widespread unrest. To avoid this, they established People’s Restaurants to provide affordable meals. By the end of 1946, there were 10 people’s Restaurants in Singapore.
