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What did the people in Singapore experience during the Japanese…
What did the people in Singapore experience during the Japanese Occupation?
How did the Japanese establish control in Singapore?
Using force
Meting out harsh punishments
Harsh punishments created fear as a warning to the people about the potential consequences of going against the Japanese
Looters were beheaded and their heads were displayed at public places as a warning
Forced to bow to the Japanese or face punishment
The
Kempeitai
arrested those who were suspected of being anti-Japanese, making many people in the community fear them
Suspects were beaten or tortured until they revealed information the Japanese wanted to the extent of imprisonment and execution
Food/cash rewards were given to encourage people to inform the authorities on anyone whom they suspected was involved in anti-Japanese activities
Because of this, nobody knew who to trust, making people becoming suspicious of each other
Imprisoning Allied Soldiers
The Japanese imprisoned the British, Australians and allied europeans in Singapore, including women and children
The POWs (Prisoners of war) were forced to march in public from Bukit Timah to Changi Prison and the barracks near Changi Prison, in which they would be imprisoned
The Japanese wanted to show that the 'white men' were no longer in control and that the locals should obey
them
instead
Operation Sook Ching
Sook Ching (Cleansing)
A brutal purge of the members of the Chinese Community who were suspected of being anti-Japanese
The Chinese were targeted by the Japanese as they were seen as a threat due to their resentment towards Japan’s invasion of China. Many overseas Chinese supported China’s war efforts by donating funds or boycotting Japanese goods.
All males aged 18-50 were screened. Men who were identified as Anti-Japanese during the screenings were taken to either Punggol or Changi Beach to be executed. An estimated of 25,000 to 50,000 were estimated to have been killed
The local Chinese Community suffered as many were killed/lived in fear of being targeted and killed
Coercing the Chinese Business Community
Overseas Chinese Association (OCA) created to act as a channel of communication between Chinese community and Japanese government.
Demanding OCA to gift them 50 million Straits Dollar to Japanese Administration
This was to punish the Chinese Community in Singapore and Malaya for supporting anti-Japanese war activities in China, as well as supporting the British war efforts in Malaya and Singapore
Resulting in the local Chinese Population to endure hardships, being forced to contribute to Japan despite living in the difficult conditions of War
Winning Loyalty
Using Propaganda
Vision: Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere
Which was a united asia that would benefit from sharing resources collectively
The Japanese portrayed themselves as Liberators who had come to free Asians from Western Colonial Powers
The Japanese portrayed themselves as 'saviors' from the west through movies, books, newspapers and radio programs to promote loyalty to them
The Japanese were aware that indian immigrants were influenced by the rise of anti-British sentiments
Promising to assist them in their movement to gain independence from the British
Forming the Indian National Army with support from the Japanese to recruit Indians to fight against the British in india.
Providing Benefits to the Locals
Free
textbooks were provided to 20,000 students
The Japanese appealed to some ethnic groups, giving them favorable treatment
They distributed rice, sugar and salt to the less fortunate for Hari Raya Puasa
Malays and Indians were charged lower fees compares to the Chinese to cross the Causeway
This was to portray themselves as kind and benevolent rulers who are here to improve their lives, gaining the support of the local population and their loyalty in return
Imposing Japanese Culture
Students were taught Nippon-go instead of English (reading and writing)
Which prompted them to released Nippon-go readers for beginners. The books praised the beauty and greatness of Japan
Lessons were conducted through the schools' broadcasting services. Teachers were required to attend language classes
Language lessons were a regular feature in the newspaper
Competitions, awards, extra rations, salary increments and promotions were used to motivate people to learn the Japanese Language.
What was daily life like under Japanese Rule?
Survival
Relocations
People encouraged to strive for self-sufficiency by growing their own foods such as vegetables, tapioca and sweet potatoes, sadly failing to ease food shortage
Because of this, the Japanese relocated people to increase agricultural output
Endau Settlement
The Chinese community was moved here in Johor as the soil was rich and had ample water supplies, making it suitable for agriculture.
However, people were attacked by bandits and anti-Japanese guerillas, posing a danger to their lived and disrupting peace in the settlement
Bahau Settlement
The Eurasians and Chinese Roman Catholics were moved here, however the land was too hilly and the soil too poor
The lack of food worsened, causing people to resort to consuming Rats and Maggots, letting them experience the inconvenience of relocating and facing deaths due to lack of food
Disease and Death
Healthcare and Sanitation worsened
With this, the diseases spread rapidly, causing many to suffer from illnesses and deaths
Local population weakened by food shortages and death rate climbed to 130,000 deaths
Primary causes of death: Beriberi (lack of Vitamin D), Pneumonia (infection of the lungs) and dysentery (intestinal inflammation)
POWs and civilian prisoners lived in harsh living conditions – continual shortages of food, medicine, and acute overcrowding, leading to poor hygiene and the spread of diseases
Dealing with shortages
Disruption of trade limited the import of goods into Singapore from overseas
A lack of goods and resources as they were channeled to Japan's war efforts instead of the people
Because of this, food items such as rice, salt and sugar were
strictly
rationed
A shortage of items drove prices up, causing drastic inflation
Because of this, the black market flourished, having people pay high prices for the goods
The over-printing of 'banana notes' caused its value to drop
Because of this, the locals went through immense hardships, many struggling to survive during this period as many starved, suffered from malnutrition, and could not afford daily necessities
Leisure and Entertainment
Social Activities
Activities
Introduced radio programmes consisting of:
Japanese Music
Malay music
News in Hokkien and Cantonese
Sports
Football
Baseball
Tennis
Badminton
Encouraged to reduce stress of wartime conditions
POWs organised activities such as:
Publishing newspapers
Organizing Theatrical Peroformances
Church Services
Painting Murals at Changi Chapel
To maintain the appearance of a harmonious and happy society, some forms of activities were allowed
How did the locals respond to Japanese Rule?
Collboration
The Japanese actively sought the support of the Malays in administering Japanese rule e.g. policing
Or joining neighborhood associations to report on suspected hostile activity against the regime
Some Chinese enlisted to be informants for the
Kempeitai (Japanese Military Police)
during Sook Ching
As a result, the locals lived in fear and distrust during that time, unable to determine who was working for the Japanese and who was not
Resistance
Formation of resistance forces who wanted to drive the Japanese out of Singapore and worked with the British
MPAJA
Malayan People's Anti-Japanese army
Carried out sabotage attacks and distributed anti-Japanese newspapers and posters.
Force 136: To do recon on the Japanese and organse sabotage acitivities
Prominent Figures: Lim Bo Seng and Elizabeth Choy
What problems did the people face immediately after Japanese Surrender
Food Shortages
Shortages 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
Solved by the BMA clearing the harbor so that ships could dock on the port and controlling the prices of essential supplies and provided free meals for children under six years old
Sunken ships blocked the harbor and few warehouses were available for storage
Economic Difficulties
Banana notes were no longer the official currency of Singapore
Solved by the BMA issuing special grants to the locals but they were often not sufficient for large families to make ends meet
Those who had not kept the Straits Dollar had to borrow from others to survive
Schooling Disruptions
War disrupted the schooling of many people
Solved by the BMA quickly reopening schools quickly for both children of schooling age as well as overaged children who received little education during the JO
As a result, by
March 1946
, 62,000 students were enrolled in schools but there were no proper educational resources
Resources such as
Blackboards
Textbooks
Teachers
The BMA provided grants and waived school fees for children from needy families