Foundation in arts March intake 2011

Malaysian studies ( Group 7 ) Topic 5 : EVENTS THAT LED TO The Japanese Occupation of Malaya and Singapore
Group members : Dineshsethu Ramachandran Shereen Choong Wai Teng Sharmilla Shakilla a/p Arumugam Chee Wai Yien Boon Tze Ling Tiew Shook Yi Tan Gai Mann Wu Khar Yee

In the second half of the 19th century Japan had embarked on a program of modernisation and industrialisation and transformed itself into a world power. However, being an island nation with few natural resources, Japans survival as industrial power depended on trade and access to raw materials. Trace the events that led to the Japanese occupation of Malaya and Singapore.

1542 - A Portuguese ship docked in Japan 17th century - suspected that the traders and missionaries had come to Japan as a precursor of a military conquest by European powers 1854 - Commodore Matthew Perry of the United States Navy managed to negotiate the re-opening of Japan to the West 1898 - the unequal treaties with Western powers were removed East Asia island nation that sits in the Pacific Ocean Meiji restoration Japan was transformed from a feudal and isolated country into a world superpower sun-origin Land of the Rising Sun 1940 - USA embargoed war supplies and placed greater restrictions Four large islands on the export of importantHokkaido, Shikoku to Japans military the Honshu, commodities due expansionism and Kyushu 15th October 1941 - Tojo Hideki declared that the negotiations had ended 1945 - Two atomic bombs, Little Boy and Fat Man, were dropped on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki ending the war

Japan

 *Will

put the video over here

Need for Raw Materials

Ambitions of Japanese leaders

Malaya

rich natural resources In 1939, Malaya was the resource of : 40% of the world's rubber and 60% of the world's tin; that fact alone interested Japanese expansionists eyed by the Japanese militarists and industrialists.

Leaders of Japan were Army Generals

Had imperial ambitions : wanted to conquer and expand Japanese influence

A perfect staging point to start off and support further invasions of other oil rich islands of Borneo, Java and Sumatra

Use of Strategy made use of propaganda began their assault from the northern region of Malaya destroyed the air and sea defenses of the British to ensure the British had no control of the skies and seas around Malaya and Singapore based their assault on speed, ferocity and surprise

Pact between Japan and Thailand Both countries made an agreement that was beneficial to the Japanese as it allowed them to establish land lines that supplied their troops in Burma and Malaya

Defenses in Malaya were weak unprepared British soldiers lacked training and ill-equipped for war not familiar with jungle warfare poor coordination as the British officers were not fluent in the Urdu language(command language of the Indian soldiers)

Complacency of the British boasted Singapore was an impregnable fortress believed the Japanese were poor fighters and were no match against the might of the British army convinced Singapore would not be attacked from land due to the thick jungles of Johor the defense plans were designed to thwart attacks from the sea

People were treated cruelly and unfairly

Diseases were also rife during the Japanese occupation

Chinese were forced to form the Overseas Chinese Association and to contribute $50 million towards Japan's war efforts Made a strong impact on the education system in Malaya and Singapore

thrust the economy of both countries into total chaos

THE END