Effects of the Japanese Occupation in Malaya
Affects of WW11 on Malaysia
The early 1940s were important in Malaya history because it brought with it the Japanese who were looking to expand their territory into other Asian nations. Malaya caught their attention due to strategic location and an abundance of resources. They sought to make Malaysia as an annexed part of Japan but failed to take note of the general animosity between the Chinese and Japanese at the point due to war between China and Japan previously. They succeeded in occupying Malaysia for three and a half years but during this time, forced an anti Chinese campaign and tortured many local Chinese, even killing most of them in the process.
However, the Occupation also gave rise to the Nationalism movement, where many locals were stoked into action against the Japanese for mistreating their country and their people in such a way. Many anti Japanese groups were formed and local newspapers and digests were polished condemning the Japanese movement in Malaya. One such party formed was the MPAJA which consisted almost solely of Chinese and was formed with the aim to oppose the Japanese occupation. As a result, the older generation of today’s Malaysia still looks unfavourably upon the modern Japanese.
The Japanese surrendered after the World War 11 which gave MPAJA (Malaysian People’s Anti Japanese Army) a brief chance to rule the country. This party, mostly consisting of the Chinese, took advantage of their position to torture Malays and Japanese alike for the brutality with which they had been treated during the Japanese Occupation era. This further caused a racial division in Malaysia that exists until today. Even though this lasted only two weeks, before the British Military Administration took over, even today the impact of the brief MPAJA rule is painful and lasting.
World War II resulted in mass destruction worldwide and its effects were felt even here in Malaysia even though politically speaking, the country remained detached from the main
The early 1940s were important in Malaya history because it brought with it the Japanese who were looking to expand their territory into other Asian nations. Malaya caught their attention due to strategic location and an abundance of resources. They sought to make Malaysia as an annexed part of Japan but failed to take note of the general animosity between the Chinese and Japanese at the point due to war between China and Japan previously. They succeeded in occupying Malaysia for three and a half years but during this time, forced an anti Chinese campaign and tortured many local Chinese, even killing most of them in the process.
However, the Occupation also gave rise to the Nationalism movement, where many locals were stoked into action against the Japanese for mistreating their country and their people in such a way. Many anti Japanese groups were formed and local newspapers and digests were polished condemning the Japanese movement in Malaya. One such party formed was the MPAJA which consisted almost solely of Chinese and was formed with the aim to oppose the Japanese occupation. As a result, the older generation of today’s Malaysia still looks unfavourably upon the modern Japanese.
The Japanese surrendered after the World War 11 which gave MPAJA (Malaysian People’s Anti Japanese Army) a brief chance to rule the country. This party, mostly consisting of the Chinese, took advantage of their position to torture Malays and Japanese alike for the brutality with which they had been treated during the Japanese Occupation era. This further caused a racial division in Malaysia that exists until today. Even though this lasted only two weeks, before the British Military Administration took over, even today the impact of the brief MPAJA rule is painful and lasting.
World War II resulted in mass destruction worldwide and its effects were felt even here in Malaysia even though politically speaking, the country remained detached from the main