History Chapter 6

• The Japanese Occupation of Singapore began on 15 February 1942 and lasted until 12 September 1945
• Singapore was renamed to Syonan-To (Light of the South) during the Japanese Occupation
• Methods used by the Japanese to control Singapore:

  • Using force: meting out hard punishments, imprisoning allied soldiers, carrying out Operation Sook Ching, coercing the Chinese business community
  • Winning loyalty: using propaganda, providing benefits to locals, imposing Japanese culture
• Meting out harsh punishments:

  • Executing thieves and displaying heads publicly
  • Harsh punishments created fear and served as a severe warning to the people
• Kempeitai (Japanese military police):

  • Feared group that arrested those suspected of being anti-Japanese
  • Offered rewards for information, leading to suspicion and fear among the people
  • Anti-Japanese suspects were beaten and tortured for information
• Imprisoning allied soldiers:

  • Soldiers were forced to march from Bukit Timah Road to Changi Prison
  • POWs were starved, forced to do hard labor, and civilians risked punishment to help them
• Carrying out Operation Sook Ching:

  • 'Cleansing' operation to identify or eliminate anti-Japanese elements, mainly targeting Chinese
  • Due to Chinese boycotting Japanese products during Japan's invasion of China in 1937
• Coercing Chinese Businesses:

  • Japanese demanded 50 million Straits Dollars from the Overseas Chinese Association (OCA)
• Propaganda:

  • Aimed to free Asians from western control and promote the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere
  • Influence Indians to accept Japanese rule, promising freedom from the British
• Providing benefits to locals:

  • Free schooling and accommodation provided to win support
  • Positive response from Malay nationalist organization led to favorable treatment of Malays
  • Distribution of rice, sugar, and salt to less-fortunate Malays during Hari Raya Puasa
• Imposing Japanese culture:

  • Teaching Japanese language in schools and providing monetary benefits
  • Students had to sing the Japanese national anthem and bow before the picture of the Japanese Emperor
  • Selected youths received traditional martial arts lessons
• The Japanese printed money whenever they needed it, causing currency to become worthless
• Although Changi Prison was designed for 600 prisoners, it held up to 5000
• Main causes of deaths during the Japanese Occupation

  • Beriberi (lack of vitamin B1)
  • Pneumonia (lung infection)
  • Dysentery (intestinal inflammation)
• Healthcare and sanitation was not a priority of the British before WWII
• Resources in Singapore were channelled to Japan’s war effort instead of to the locals


  Consequences: Poor hygiene, spread of diseases, inability to recover from illnesses, hunger, and starvation
• Relocations by the Japanese

  1. People were relocated from Singapore to rural areas outside Singapore to increase agricultural production

  2. Chinese were encouraged to move to Endau settlement in Johor

  3. Eurasians and Chinese Roman Catholics were encouraged to move to Bahau settlement in Negeri Sembilan
• The war disrupted trade

  Limited the import of goods into Singapore from overseas
• Living conditions were harsh for POWs and civilian prisoners
• Continued food and medicine shortages with severe overcrowding led to poor hygiene and spread of diseases
• Problems faced under the Japanese Occupation

  • Inflation
  • Shortage of food
  • Dealing with shortages
  • Disrupted trade
  • Resources channelled to Japan’s war effort
  • The black market
  • Printing money causing currency devaluation
  • Diseases and death
  • Living conditions for POWs and civilian prisoners
  • Relocations
• The black market sold basic necessities at high prices due to the shortage of food
• Between 1942-1945, there were 130,000 officially-recorded deaths, more than double the number between 1937-1940