DMS5015 Sub Topic 1.1 Notes

7/31/2019 DMS5015 Sub Topic 1.1 Notes

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DMS5015 Topic 1: History and Politics

Sub Topic 1.1 : Malaysian Prehistoric Era; The Malacca Sultanate; Colonization

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The Malacca Sultanate

Introduction

1. Malacca was founded by Parameswara, a prince from Palembang who fled to Temasik

when Srivijaya is attacked by Majapahit.

2. From Temasik, Parameswara later went to Muar and finally to Malacca around 1400.

3. He named the place Malacca based on the name of a tree where he saw a white mouse

deer kicked his hunting dog into the river.

International Relations

1. In 1403, the first official Chinese trade envoy lead by Admiral Yin Ching arrive inMalacca.

2. In 1409, Admiral Cheng Ho, the Commander of the Chinese Imperial fleet, arrives in

Malacca on the first of his seven voyages to the Indian Ocean.

3. In 1411, Parameswara journey to China with an entourage of 540 and meets the Ming

Emperor Yung Lo.

4. In 1414, Parameswara marries a princess from Pasai (Indonesia) and embraces Islam,

change his name to Raja Iskandar Shah.

Reasons for the glory of Malacca

1. Excellent rulers

2. Protection from China

3. Efficient administration

4. Strategic location

5. Appointment of Syahbandar for each group of traders

6. Facilities at the port

7. Great entry port

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During the 15th century, Portugal heralded its Age of Discovery and became inexhaustible in its

quest to discover foreign lands and expand its tiny kingdom. Initiated by Infante Don Enrique,

popularly known as Prince Henry the Navigator (1394-1460), who encouraged his people to

increase their knowledge and expand their trading activities to the Far East, the Portuguese

embarked on countless missions by land and sea.

Their purpose, in addition to searching for "Guinea gold" and expanding their tiny kingdom

to become one of the most powerful nations in the world, was to spread the Christian Gospel and

reduce the influence of Islam in the East.

Since the 11th century, the Portuguese, who were Christians, had been battling with the

Muslims in the Crusades War in Europe. The reason behind this war stemmed from the fact that

the Portuguese wanted to conquer Palestine, the Holy Land of the Muslims. This animosity waged

on until the 15th century. By that time, however, Islam had spread to the East and garnered good

response from nations in the Malay Archipelago like Acheh, Brunei and Malacca. Burning with the

anti-Muslim crusading spirit, the Portuguese were bent on spreading the gospel to the East and

replacing Islam with Christianity.

The Portuguese also had another important reason to venture to the East - to search for

Guinea gold - precious Asian spices which had become essential in their part of the world, in

flavoring and preserving their food. For a long time in Europe, Asian spices were sold at

exorbitant prices, mainly because of its high demand and the countless number of middlemen in

between, from the Muslim merchants of Gujerat and Malabar in India, to Arab merchants in

Baghdad and Iskandariah and finally, to the Venetian and Genoese merchants in Italy. Apart from

that, the Muslims, who constantly traveled to and from South-East Asia, reaping high profits,

dominated the trading of spices between Europe and Asia. Keeping consistent in their animosity

against the Muslims and fueled by their search for Asian spices, the Portuguese were intent on

diverting the Asian spice trade away from the Muslims. The only way to do this was to stopobtaining the Asian spices from the Muslim Mamaluke Empire in Egypt and Syria, and instead,

chart a new spice route around the Cape of Good Hope. The efforts of the Portuguese made them

the first European nation that came to the South East Asia in search of Asian spies.

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Another reason for the Portuguese venturing to the East is to search for the mythical priest-

king, Prester John, ruling over a powerful Christian kingdom in, what was then known as, the

Indies. They believed that with his help, they could conquer the Muslims in the East. In addition,

since Muslims had dominated the route via land, they decided to find a new route by sea to the

East.

The fall of Malacca

In the wake of the many explorations made by the Portuguese in the quest to spread the Gospel and

obtain Asian spices, Malacca was recognized as the collecting point for the much sought-after

spices of the Moluccas and also a centre where Islam thrived.

Hence, it became a prime target of the Portuguese. If the latter succeeded in conquering

Malacca, it meant that they would be able to monopolize the trading of spices and simultaneously

halt the spread of Islam through the preaching of the Gospel.

The man who succeeded in the capture of Malacca was none other than the famed Alfonso

de Albuquerque, who was a key player in much of the Portuguese expansion efforts in Asia. After

10 days under siege, Malacca fell into the hands of the Portuguese on 24 th August 1511. Many

factors caused the fall of Malacca. They include:

Weak ruling government

The golden age of Malacca, with its wealth and prestige, very much depended on its leadership,

and one leader who especially shone through was Bendahara Tun Perak. After his death however,

there was no successor capable of running the state of Malacca. Tun Peraks successor, Tun Putih

was old, weak and barely able to carry out his duties. Following Tun Putihs death, Tun Mutahir,

who was elected Bendahara, was no better, being more concerned about his welfare than the

welfare of the state.

Tun Mutahir also evoked the anger of the ruling king, Sultan Mahmud Shah, when the

former married off his daughter, Tun Fatimah to Tun Ali, instead of to the Sultan. Because of this,

Sultan Mahmud ordered Tun Mutahir executed when an enemy betrayed the latter.

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The reign of Sultan Mahmud Shah as king is also another factor that caused the fall of

Malacca. Sultan Mahmud paid no heed to the administration of the government. He allowed his

officers to act as they pleased and this encouraged much bribery and corruption among them.

When Sultan Mahmud descended the throne to allow his successor Sultan Ahmad Shah to reign as

king, the administration of Malacca deteriorated, since Sultan Ahmad was young and lacked

experience.

The weak ruling of the government had caused a decline in Malaccas trading activities and

forced many merchants to shift to Acheh, the other trading centre in the region

Hostility among races

When Tun Mutahir assumed the position of Bendahara after the demise of Tun Putih, Tun Mutahir,

who was a Tamil-Islam, favoured his relatives and reserved important administration positions in

the government for them.

Consequently, there was much dissatisfaction among the Malay Muslims and Tamil

Muslims, and the racial tensions, which had mellowed to some point due to the wise and fair reign

of Tun Perak, flared up again.

Disloyalty

Many of the foreign merchants who came to Malacca to trade did not believe loyalty to the

government of Malacca. Some even backed the Portuguese during the attack on Malacca. A

Chinese merchant, for instance, provided on loan, 5 huge barges to the Portuguese while a Tamil

merchant known as Ninachatu supplied information on Malaccas defense system.

To make matters worse, the Javanese army hired by the government of Malacca abandoned

the state during the siege, since they were not willing to die for a country which wasnt their own.

The colony states under Malacca failed to back the state up and instead, seized the opportunity to

free themselves from the reign of Malacca. Consequently, Malacca lacked military strength and

aid.

The strength of the Portuguese army

Portuguese soldiers were better equipped than their Malacca counterparts and possessed advanced

weapons, like guns and cannons. They were also led by Alfonso dAlbuquerque, who was capable

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and experienced in the battlefield. The Malacca army, on the other hand, used medieval weapons

like the kris, swords, spears and lances. In addition, the Portuguese army was more disciplined and

experienced in comparison with the army of Malacca.

All these factors demonstrate how important leadership is to a country. It can either lead a

country to rise as a strong empire or cause a country to crumble. It also plays an important role in

uniting people and unity among citizens of a country is essential in the formation of a strong

government.

Apart from all these factors, we see that political stability is another prerequisite to ensure

the expansion of a countrys economy. If we can say that weak leaders like Sultan Mahmud Shah

and Tun Mutahir were very much to blame for the fall of Malacca, then we can in turn, attribute

the success of the Portuguese in becoming the first European power to find their way to the east

and conquer Malacca, to capable and efficient leaders like Prince Henry and Alfonso

dAlbuquerque.

The impact of Portuguese conquest on society

The conquest of the Portuguese, brought an end to the Malacca Sultanate and Malacca no longer

played a role as the Islamic centre in South East Asia. This position went to Acheh and Brunei.

The Portuguese ruled Malacca for 130 years (1511 - 1641). Inter-racial marriages between the

Portuguese and the local people in Malacca soon took place and resulted in the formation of a new

society, known as Serani. They practice customs inherited from Portugal although they dwell in

Malacca.

Another impact is seen in the Malay language, which has adopted Portuguese words like

almari, beranda, garpu, jendela, tuala, palsu, etc. The Portuguese also introduced Roman writing,

thejoget, and a popular song entitledJingkling Nona.

Trading activities in Malacca also dwindled when most of the Muslim merchants opted to

go to Acheh, instead of Malacca. Finally, the fall of Malacca ushered the birth of 2 new kingdoms,

Johor and Perak, which were established by the sons of Sultan Mahmud Syah.

The Dutch

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The starting point of the Dutchs exploration to the east was the publication of Linschotens

famous book, the Itinerario, which contained detail information about routes and navigational

conditions in eastern waters. The author had meticulously compiled these materials from

Portuguese sources during his stay in Goa.

In 1580, Philip II of Spain conquered Portugal and subsequently closed the port of Lisbon to

Dutch and English sailors in 1594. Before this, the Dutch had been obtaining spices from Lisbon

and when the closure ensued, the Dutch were motivated to go to the East to obtain spices on their

own.

The first Dutch expedition under the command of Cornelius van Houtman sailed to the

Straits of Malacca, called at Acheh and then went south to the port of Bantam. Then they sailed

East to Madura and Bali. The native states were eager to welcome them for two reasons. The

Dutch were rivals of the Portuguese who were enemies of the native states, and any enemy of the

Portuguese was welcomed with open arms. The second reason was that any form of rivalry among

the European nations increased the demand for the spices and the native states were, therefore,

prepared to receive the Dutch wherever they went.

Consequently, more Dutch companies subsidized trading expeditions to the East, and in the

years between 1595 and 1601, there were over sixty-five Dutch ships in twenty-two fleets which

had embarked on journeys to the East. However, the Dutch realized that the merchants of Acheh

and the Moluccas were steadily increasing the price of the spices by playing off one Dutch fleet

against another. The rivalry among the Dutch companies began to have a negative impact on the

trade. As a result of this, all Dutch companies were amalgamated into the United Netherlands

Chartered East India Company, popularly known as the VOC (Vereenigde Oostindische

Compagnie) in 1602. From then on, there existed only one price, which was quoted to all Dutch

merchants.

The VOC was much more than a trading company. As the representative of the Government

of Netherlands, it was given much sovereign power which encompassed the right to establish

colonies, declare war, enter treaties and alliances with native princes and construct fortresses where

necessary.

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The Relationship between the Dutch and Johor Government

When Malacca fell into the hands of the Portuguese, Sultan Mahmud fled from the state and

ventured to Bentan, one of the many islands of Riau. There, he established his new capital and

resisted attacks from the Portuguese for a short period. In 1526, however, he succumbed to their

attacks and fled to Kampar, where he finally died. His son, Sultan Alauddin Riayat Syah II

founded the kingdom of Johor and formed his new capital at Kota Tinggi.

After the fall of Malacca, Acheh appeared as an important trading port and strove to expand

its empire into the Malay Peninsular and dominate economic and political affairs in the Straits of

Malacca. Johor and the Portuguese in Malacca were equally ambitious. Because of this, the three

powers were constantly waging battles with one another in what is known as the Triangular War.

When the Dutch first encountered Johor in the seventeenth century, the latter already

regarded them as potential allies in its fight against Acheh and the Portuguese. The Dutch on the

other hand, were hoping to gain Johors assistance in launching an attack on the Portuguese fort in

Malacca. From the initial stage of the relationship between Johor and the VOC, both parties

recognized the mutual benefits of co-operating with one another and consequently signed a treaty

of alliance on 17th May 1606, in which Johor was to aid the Dutch in the capture of Malacca from

the Portuguese. If the Dutch succeeded in capturing the Portuguese city, Malacca was to be handed

over to them, while the adjoining territories would be given to Johor, on the condition that the

Dutch be given the right to extract timber from the jungles in these territories for shipping and

defense purposes.

The Dutch were also to be granted a monopoly of trade with Johor and their merchandise

free of any duty. To return the favour, the Dutch would allow Johor to obtain certain trading

privileges in Malacca, which were denied to all the other local states. Although the Dutch refused

to help Johor fight against Acheh, they promised to be the mediator for peace between the two

nations should Acheh attack Johor. Following this, Johor and Acheh signed a peace treaty in 1641,

which was initiated by the Dutch.

Johors assistance to the Dutch did not involve direct fighting with the Portuguese, but came

in the form of other means, like the construction of trenches and batteries, the transportation of

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vital materials, preventing the enemy from fleeing into the jungles and also providing emotional

support. The Dutch attack on Malacca began in August 1640 and lasted for over five months,

ending in January 1641.

The Policy Imposed By the Dutch in Malacca and Other Malay States

When the Dutch conquered Malacca, they had already formed their base in Batavia (Jakarta) in

1619. Using Malacca as a trading centre was the least of the many reasons on their minds. What

they really wanted was to vanquish Malaccas status as an international trading port and

inadvertently force all merchants to Batavia.

To accomplish this, the Dutch increased tax on ships docking in Malacca. As such, duringthe Dutch occupation in Malacca, Malacca did not regain its former glory or become a separate

trading unit. When the Dutch opened other small trading posts in Selangor and Perak, Malacca

became useful as a supply base.With their control over Malacca, the Dutch also hoped to diminish

any threats of rivalry from the Portuguese and British, by using it as a guardpost to monitor ships

plying through the Straits of Malacca. The Dutch also signed treaties with the Sultan of Perak,

Kedah, Ujung Salang and Bangeri, which enabled them to monopolize the trading of tin and

weaken the power of the local government and Malacca once again proved useful to control the

Malay states abundant with tin.

The British

British Expansion into Malaya and Singapore

The British were another important foreign power that came to exert its influence in Malaya. Their

presence in the peninsula first began with their attainment of Penang. The British East India

Company, which was based in India during the 18th century, was in dire need of a base to serve as

a collection centre, naval point and pier in the Malay states.

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Hence, the British were at an advantage when Sultan Muhammad Jiwa of Kedah, came at

just the right moment, seeking assistance from them to ward off impending threats from the Bugis.

He was willing to surrender Penang to the British in exchange for their protection. Seizing the

opportunity to expand their domain, the East India Company assigned Captain Francis Light to

negotiate with the Sultan on behalf of the British. The result was a treaty signed between Francis

Light and Sultan Muhammad Jiwa in April 1771, in which the British was granted permission to

trade in Kedah in exchange for their protection of the state. The treaty, however, was short-lived,

and annulled when the British refused to provide aid to Kedah in an attack on the Bugis in

Selangor.

When Sultan Abdullah ascended the throne of Kedah, the state once again, came under fire.

This time, however, from the nation of Siam. The Sultan wasted no time in appointing Francis

Light to negotiate once more with the East India Company and offered Penang Island to the British

in exchange for their protection against the Siamese. Thrilled with the offer of Penang, the

Company sought permission from the British government in London to offer protection to Kedah.

The Sultan, on his part, did not allow the British to occupy the island until the Company

promised protection. Although Francis Light conveyed these terms to India for approval, the

Company rejected Kedahs request for protection. Despite this, Francis Light took over the island

on 11th August 1786, after making an empty promise of protection to the Sultan. When Sultan

Abdullah discovered that the British had lied and refused to grant protection to Kedah, he made

several attempts to regain the island of Penang by force, but failed. Finally, in 1800, a new treaty

was drawn up between the British and Kedah, in which the British acquired Province Wellesley

(Seberang Perai), in addition to Penang for an annual fee of $10,000 to the Sultan of Kedah.

British reign over Singapore, on the other hand, began with the arrival of Stamford Raffles

on the island in 1819. Raffles found Singapore ideal as a trading centre and a base which would

shatter the Dutch monopoly of the East Indies.

When the Sultan of Johor failed to recognize an agreement between Raffles and the

Temenggong of Johor, in which the British were granted permission to establish a settlement in

Singapore, Raffles sought the help of Tengku Hussein. The latter was denied his rightful place on

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the throne by the Bugis, who appointed his younger brother, Tengku Abdul Rahman, as king

instead when the Sultan of Johor died.

Hence, at the Temenggongs invitation, he was only too willing to go to Singapore from

Riau, and be proclaimed the Sultan of Johor by Raffles on 6th February, 1819. Through cunning

on the part of Raffles, the earlier agreement between the Temenggong and himself was made legal

by Sultan Hussein, despite a wave of uproar by the Dutch.

The British and Dutch signed the London Treaty on 17th March 1824 to solve the conflicts

between themselves in the East and to protect their own interests. It was agreed upon ib the treaty

that Singapore, the Malay states and India would come under British rule, while East India and the

regions south of Singapore belonged to the Dutch. The treaty also forbade both parties to establish

new settlements or sign agreements with the local heads of other areas.

With Singapore, Malacca and Penang under British rule, the three states were combined into

one administration unit known as the Straits Settlements. Singapore expanded rapidly and

overshadowed Penang, which grew at a moderate pace. Malacca, on the other hand, failed to

develop and remained backward.

As for the other Malay states, the British strictly enforced a policy of non-intervention and

the proceeding five decades after the London Treaty, have often been described as "half a century

of inactivity".

From A Policy of Non-Intervention to Intervention

After five decades of practicing a policy of non-intervention, the British found themselves

inevitably getting involved in the politics of the Malay states in 1874. There were many factors that

brought about this change and caused the fall of the Malay states into British hands. Among them

were piracy problems, the civil war caused by constant disputes over succession among the leaders

of the state, which made local governments unstable, the birth of secret societies that caused

frequent fights among them, which stymied growth and economic development of the tin mines.

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Consequently, there lacked law and order in the peninsula and this greatly threatened the

safety of the huge number of British investors in the Malay states and their trading activities,

which mainly involved the tin mining industry.

The British were also concerned about losing investments from the Chinese, who were

fearful that the unrest in the Peninsula might harm their trade, since the Chinese were the main

source of investments in the Straits Settlements and were vital to the prosperity of Singapore.

Another factor was the occurrence of the Industrial Revolution in Europe during the 19th

century. With it came the need to obtain raw and processed materials for the industry as well as

markets for the finished products. In their desire to develop their many colonies abroad and

monopolize the tin mining industry, the British found it necessary to intervene in the Malay states.

The British were also seeking to protect their interests and trading activities abroad from the

intervention of other foreign powers, fearful in particular that Germany, which had defeated France

earlier, would set out to establish new conquests in foreign lands.

With the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, the British now had access to countries like

Burma, India, Aden, Malta and Gibraltar, and finally to Hong Kong and China in the east via the

Straits of Malacca. To proceed to the east, however, the British would have to contend with leaders

of the Malay states. As such, they needed to establish ties with the Malay chiefs to maintain this

smooth route to the east. Through the Suez Canal, the British also found it possible to sail from

England to Malaya in 42 days instead of the arduous 116 days prior to the opening of the canal.

This resulted in the increase in trading activities in the peninsula and a greater need to control the

peninsula.

One other factor that caused the British to intervene in the Malay states was the appointment

of Lord Kimberly as the Secretary of State for the colonies. Rooted in the firm belief that the

benefits of British rule should be spread throughout the world, Kimberly passed on this belief to

Sir Andrew Clarke in the latters capacity as Governor of the Straits Settlements, and it was Clarke

who prompted direct involvement of the British in the Malay states.

The fall of the Malay states to the British

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As mentioned earlier, British intervention in the Malay states were prompted by the unrest in

Perak, which included the fights among the secret societies and the succession disputes among the

states royalties. The years between 1861 and 1872 saw three separate wars in Perak known as the

Larut War I, II and III, involving two secret societies - Ghee Hin and Hai San. To add to the chaos

was the succession dispute between Raja Yusof, Raja Ismail and Raja Abdullah, which prompted

them as well as the other Malay chiefs to get involved in the Larut Wars.

Finally, in 1873, Raja Abdullah decided to take matters into his own hands by writing to Sir

Andrew Clarke asking for help. This event brought about the signing of the Pangkor Engagement

in 1874, in which the Residential System was first established in Perak. This was a historical event

which laid the foundation for the establishment of the Resident System in most of the other states

in Malaya.

In Selangor, British intervention was prompted by the murder of 8 British subjects in a

pirate attack on a Malacca boat in November 1873. The men involved in the slaughter were

believed to be employed by one of the sons of Sultan Abdul Samad of Selangor.

In Negeri Sembilan, the British found excuse to exert their influence when civil war broke

out due to the rivalry between Dato Kelana Sendeng and Dato Bandar Kulop Tunggal, the leaders

of two of the many districts in Negeri Sembilan. The dispute was on whom had the legal right to

collect taxes in the Linggi River, an important trading point in Sungai Ujong. The door was opened

to British intervention when Dato Kelana Sendeng asked the British for assistance in declaring

him the legal head of Sungai Ujong.

There were two reasons which contributed to British intervention in Pahang. Firstly, British

trade was interrupted due to the civil war. Secondly, the Sultan of Pahang wanted to sell state land

to foreign powers to solve his financial problems. However, actual intervention in the form of the

implementation of the Resident System only occured in 1888 after a British citizen was murdered

outside the Sultans palace.

British intervention brought about the Residential System, which was initially established in

Perak, to the other states of Selangor, Pahang and Negeri Sembilan. It was a system in which the

British extended their reign over the Malay states in an indirect manner. Under this system, the

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leaders of the state would have to consult the Residents on all matters pertaining to the smooth

running of the state, except those involving Malay customs and religion.

Consequently, in 1896, these four states were combined into one administration unit and

acknowledged as the Federated Malay States. Each state comprised one Resident, who in turn, had

to report to the General Resident. Unlike these states in Malaya, Johor maintained its independence

and succeeded in merely acquiring an Adviser and not a Resident, thanks to the ingenuity of Sultan

Abu Bakar and some of his ministers, including Datuk Jaafar, Abdul Rahman bin Andak and

Datuk Mohd Salleh bin Perang.

Contrary to the authority of a Resident, an Adviser was not allowed to interfere in the

running of the state and force his decisions upon the Sultan or Chief Minister, who still maintained

power over their administration.

Hence, Johor, together with the other remaining states like Kedah, Perlis, Kelantan and

Terengganu, which were once regarded as vassal territories of Thailand, became known as the non-

federated Malay states and accorded British protection as agreed upon in the 1909 Anglo-Thai

Treaty between Britain and Thailand. Like Johor, these states too were assigned a British advisor

each, but were still allowed to exercise full authority over the state including matters pertaining to

the allocation finances. The British extended their reign to Sabah only after the British North

Borneo Company took over. Before that, Sabah belonged to Brunei since the early 16th century

and encountered several different parties including individuals and companies.

Sarawak, on the hand, was relatively stable under the reign of the Brookes, who appointed British

officers to monitor a number of strategic points on the river system.

The Japanese

The Japanese first set foot in Malaya on 8th December 1941 and with a force of some 150,000 men

captured the whole of Malaya and Singapore from the hands of the British within ten weeks

through their ingenuity and meticulous planning.

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Knowing very well that the British had neglected the north, and prepared instead, for an

attack in Singapore by building powerful defenses to ward off threats from the sea, the Japanese

stunned their enemies by advancing from the north. Their attack first began in the Kota Bahru

located north of Malaya, and Singgora and Patani, located in the southern part of Thailand.

Fearing that they would have to contend with the Thais, the Japanese forced them into

signing a Treaty of Alliance three days later, on 11th December, to ensure that their invasion

southwards into Malaya and Singapore would not be hampered by attacks from the Thais in the

north.

As thousands of bicycles ridden by Japanese soldiers advanced to the southern tip of the

Peninsula, the British suffered severe losses when their only two battleships in the area, the Prince

of Wales and the Repulse, were bombed by the Japanese and consequently sunk on 10th December

in the east coast of Malaya. Simultaneously, Singapore was also bombed and the coast of Kelantan

invaded.

Penang fell into Japanese hands one week later, Kuala Lumpur, on 7th January 1942

followed by Johor at the end of January. The final blow landed on the British when Singapore was

captured on 15th February 1942. In its humiliating defeat, the British surrendered to the Japanese,

80,000 troops and all, on the same day.

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They knew the methods to avoid various problems of fighting in the jugle, like sunstroke and

malaria. They were also fearless, dedicated, and willing to die while championing the cause of

their emperor. These could be clearly seen in the fearless actions of the kamikaze warriors who

would fly their planes straight into enemy battleships and perish in their endeavour.

Using bicycles to make their way south also proved useful to the Japanese, since it enabled

their troops to salvage the supplies they lacked, such as ammunition and equipment, from enemy

forces which retreated from the fighting.

Although the Japanese were short of these supplies and depended on retreating enemy

troops to obtain them, they possessed modern battle equipment, which served them well, especially

in the air, the most apparent being the Japanese zero fighters. The Royal Air Force with their out-

of-date planes, was certainly no match for the Japanese when it came to battles in the air and was

defeated within 24 hours by the Japanese Air Force.

The Japanese also reaped the benefits from weaknesses in the British administration system

in which the local people were encouraged to achieve peaceful progress instead of engaging in

fights. Hence, together with the Malay regiment of volunteers from the Malay states, and the

Commonwealth forces comprising British, Australian and Indian troops, the British were not

prepared to go into war and contend with the expertise and experience of Japanese soldiers.

Impact of Japanese Occupation

During the Japanese occupation, Malaya suffered a serious decline in economic activities and the

citizens were unemployed, impoverished and experienced much hardship. Social problems became

a norm in such a situation. To prevent the Japanese from reaping the toil of the British and

progressing in Malaya, the British destroyed many railways, roads and bridges as well as

equipment used in the rubber and tin industries. Inflation rates rose in alarming proportions due tothe unlimited printing of Japanese notes, known as "banana money". To add to this, goods became

scarce and sold at exorbitant prices in black markets which began to take form.

The local people were badly exploited by the Japanese, who controlled the finances,

foodstuff and other resources of the country, channeling them to their military. Consequently,

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many people suffered malnutrition and died of starvation. Thousands of Malayans were sent as

forced laborers to construct the 250-mile long railway connecting Siam and Burma, known as the

Railway of Death. As many as 40,000 people were tortured, arrested and publicly executed in a

massacre which went on for several days.

The Chinese especially, were treated as enemies of Japan and oppressed by the Japanese.

Consequently, they suffered much hardship during the latters occupation and many of them joined

the communist-inspired Malayan Peoples Anti-Japanese Army (MPAJA).

By displaying their partiality towards the Malays and Indians, the Japanese created an

atmosphere of racial disunity and made the Malays resent the economic stronghold possessed by

the Chinese in Malaya. The Japanese also caused racial disunity by using military groups

comprising Malays to fight Chinese resistance groups and this situation went on for several years,

even after the Japanese occupation.

One good thing did come out of all this, however. Since the Japanese did go to the extent of

handing out several administrative posts in the region to the Malays during their occupation, a

feeling of nationalism began to burn in the hearts of the Malays and cause them to yearn for

independence for Malaya.

The Japanese conquest of Malaya and Singapore also boosted confidence among the

citizens of Malaya since it was a clear demonstration that an Asian country could defeat foreign

conquerors, and thus, began Malayas fight for independence.

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DMS5015 Sub Topic 1.1 Notes

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