The Imperial Japanese Army landed at Padang Pak Amat beach just after midnight on 8 December 1941, triggering a ferocious battle with the British Indian Army only an hour before the attack on Pearl Harbor. This battle marked the official start of the Pacific War and the history of the landing of the Japanese in Malaya. The Japanese experienced high fatality rates, but wave after wave of attackers storming the beach forced the British to retreat. The Japanese then regathered their forces, before moving on to seize Kota Bharu airport. At the same time, the Japanese attacked Singapore, Hong Kong, and Pearl Harbor by air.
Living conditions under the Japanese were brutal with frequent reprisals against the ethnic Chinese population by both the occupying Japanese army and the secret police Kempeitai. During the occupation a guerilla resistance force battled the Japanese from the jungles of Malaya. Groups such as the Malayan Peoples' Anti-Japanese Army (MPAJA) and Force 136 were involved in the bulk of anti-Japanese resistance during the occupation.
The Malayan Peoples' Anti-Japanese Army (MPAJA) was a resistance movement during Japanese-occupied Malaya during World War II. It originated among ethnic Chinese cadres of the Malayan Communist Party (MCP). Some units were trained by the British
Before the Japanese attacked Malaya, a potential resistance organisation already existed in the form of the Malayan Communist Party. This party's members were mainly from the Chinese community and implacably anti-Japanese. Just before the fall of Singapore, the party's Secretary General, Lai Teck, was told by the British authorities that his party should disperse into the forests, a decision already made by the party's members.
In isolation, the Communists formed the Malayan Peoples' Anti-Japanese Army (MPAJA). Their first arms and equipment were either donated by STS 101 before they were overrun, or recovered from the battlefields or abandoned British Army depots. The MPAJA formed rigidly disciplined camps and units in the forest, supplied with food by networks of contacts among displaced Chinese labourers and "squatters" on marginal land
Even though the Malays (who are Muslims) and Indians were not badly treated by Japanese forces in the beginning of the occupation, later they too felt the hardship of life under the occupation and this was magnified by the brutal treatment of anyone who was suspected of being anti-Japanese (although hardly any atrocities were inflicted on them). Thus the SOE found a suitable backing among a few Malays and sent their officers to train local resistance forces famously known as Harimau Malaya Force 136 (Tigers of Malaya of Force 136). However, certain individuals in Malaya were strong supporters of the Japanese, and were actively involved in the notorious Kempeitai "mopping up" operations and other atrocities.
It was due to these ill-treatment that prompted the local populace's involvement in Force 136. The main base for this group was near Gerik, a district in the state of Perak. The force's main task was to form an intelligence-gathering network and, should prospects be favourable, to establish a resistance movement in northern Malaya. The force also arranged the reception of other parties of Force 136 who landed by parachute, providing them with guides and local contacts in the areas of their planned operations.
The MPAJA engaged in reprisals against members of the local population who collaborated with the Japanese. Because of Japanese policy, these tended to be ethnic Malays, many of whom the Japanese employed as policemen. Although the MCP and MPAJA consistently espoused non-racial policies, the fact that their members came predominantly from the Chinese community caused their reprisals against Malays who had collaborated to be a source of racial tension.
After Japanese surrendered Before the arrival of the British, the Communist the struggle against Japanese under the umbrella of the Malayan People's Anti-Japanese Army or [[MPAJA]] took the opportunity to rule and act against those considered cooperating with the Japanese. They punish anyone who is considered guilty without following the proper laws. Typically, they are found guilty will be sentenced to death. Communist widespread atrocities in Malaya, including Balikpapan and Muar in Johor. Malay community in the Parit Sulong, Batu Pahat, Johor, who was not equipped for self-defense firearms Haji Mohd Salleh has been chosen to lead the alliance to defend themselves from violence. This phase is known as 14 days of teror
This harbored animosity between the two races, this hostility later escalated into a racial tension. At the general grassroots level the Malays who was predominantly muslim viewed the communist atheist as a threat to their race and religion. Although communism was seen as a rival, and a threat to western democracies and capitalism for most of the twentieth century.]This rivalry peaked during the Cold War, as the world's two remaining superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union, polarized most of the world into two camps of nations. This was characterized in the West as The Free World vs. Behind the Iron Curtain. It supported the spread of their economic and political systems, capitalism vs. communism, and strengthened their military powers. As a result, the camps developed new weapon systems, stockpiled nuclear weapons, and competed in space exploration. On the contrary to the malays it was a personal vendetta. The Malay saw communist as a threat to their race and religion that is why they sided with the British colonials. None the less the communist also believe that they are waging war against colonialism . but due to earlier incident and the atheistic nature of the communist ideology the Malay was not that interested. One must also take into consideration the harsh living condition that the Malay endured Japanese occupation this fostered a feeling that war should be avoided at all cost they still clouded by idea if they are not ruled by mat salleh their life would be difficult . And finally the malays are very moderate people that mainly prefer to claim independence through peaceful means.
As far as bukit kepong goes I clearly think that both party the police and the communist clearly think they fighting for a noble cause and they truly believe in their cause, we cannot deny the fact that the communist was fighting for freedom from the colonial with that being said we cannot also deny the fact that the fact that those policeman that died defending bukit kepong was also fighting t stop a new form of colonialism which is communism that is trying to gain a foothold against the British capitalism. The only means to do so was by collaborating with their colonial masters.
For a politician to crown mat indera a hero while sidelining the policeman as collaborator simply because they worked under British although historically would be correct but would be plainly insensitive and stupid. Without proper socio-historical understanding I would advise these politician stop making comments that would be one sided and would further aggravate the situation . What this situation need is an objective analysis that is not only historically correct but also not politically inclined.
One must understand this two wars of ideology between communism and capitalism but here in Malaysia there was also a race- religio situation that is very complex that makes it difficult to indentify who is he antagonist and protagonist
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