Whats did the people undergo during the Japanese occupation?

Question 1

What did the Japanese do to forcefully control the locals?

Answer 1

Inflicted harsh punishment, Imprisoned allied soldiers, Carried out Sook Ching and purposely affecting the Chinese Business ( China relief fund ; go against Japanese)

Question 2

Who were the Kempetitai?

Answer 2

Police who had the right to arrest ( and torture) anyone who was suspected to be Anti-Japanese. But the Japanese would give them food or cash reward if people gave them information. Then, they could not trust anyone.

Question 3

What is Sook Ching?

Answer 3

It is for Chinese Men aged 18 - 50. They would undergo a check on whether they were Anti- Japanese or not. If they were, they would be stamped with a triangle stamp and be sent away to be executed. If not they would have a circle stamp.

Question 4

What would they look out for?

Answer 4

They would look for Secret Society members, those with tattoos and former Chinese civil servants and journalists. ( Suspected to go against Jap)

Question 5

Who would be doing the checks?

Answer 5

Informants.

Question 6

How did the Japanese try to win the loyalty of the locals? ( promote)

Answer 6

• Using propaganda ( posters to promote people’s support) / show that whatever they were doing were to free the Asians from colonial rule ( also started including the Indians by saying they would free India from the British.

Question 7

What other ways did the Japanese try to win the locals loyalty?
( Educate)

Answer 7

They started sharing their culture, everyone had to sing their national anthem in Japanese during assembly and bow before the picture of the Japanese Emperor. Students were taught to write and speak in Japanese instead of English. Adults were required to take Japanese language lessons every week.

Question 8

What else did the Japanese do to win over the loyalty of the locals?
( Benefit)

Answer 8

They gave benefits to the locals like for schooling and accomodation, and gave different ethnic groups favourable treatments.

Question 9

What is the meaning of propaganda?

Answer 9

It is the information or idea spread by a group or government to influence people’s opinions, by not giving all the facts or only emphasising one point of view.

Question 10

How did the locals struggle for survival under the Japanese occupation? ( food )

Answer 10

Deal with shortages ( food and essential items) like rice sugar and salt

Question 11

Why did they have shortages with food?

Answer 11

• disrupted trade caused by the war
• most food available was channelling to the war efforts of the Japanese

Question 12

How did they help?

Answer 12

Gave out ration cards

Question 13

Why was the ration card not enough for some people?

Answer 13

They have larger families and the fixed amount of food they could get was not enough.

Question 14

Why was the ration card not enough for some people?

Answer 14

They have larger families and the fixed amount of food they could get was not enough.

Question 15

What other problems did the locals face? ( death and relocate)

Answer 15

There were many deaths and diseases. There were also people who were relocated.

Question 16

Why were there many deaths and diseases?

Answer 16

There was poor sanitation and hygiene, even in the hospitals . People in the hospitals were usually there as they were either POWs( Prisoners of War, or people who were affected due to the food shortages) usually due to Beriberi, ( etc).

Question 17

Why and how did the relocations affect people and why did the Japanese do it? ( self plant, didnt work, up agriculture)

Answer 17

At first, they encouraged the locals to grow their own garden with vegetables or potatoes etc, but it did not turn out successful. They relocated projects to rural areas to increase the agricultural input, but the soil at some parts were infertile, so some projects did not succeed ( some did).

Question 17

Why and how did the relocations affect people and why did the Japanese do it? ( self plant, didnt work, up agriculture)

Answer 17

At first, they encouraged the locals to grow their own garden with vegetables or potatoes etc, but it did not turn out successful. They relocated projects to rural areas to increase the agricultural input, but the soil at some parts were infertile, so some projects did not succeed ( some did).

Question 18

How did people have entertainment or enjoyment? ( watch and exercise)

Answer 18

They would screen propaganda TV-shows, movies ( free screenings/ cinemas). Malay songs, Hokkien and Cantonese news ( radio )

Question 19

Why was entertainment allowed although war was undergoing?

Answer 19

They wanted to keep up the appearance of Singapore as a happy and harmonious country

Question 20

How did the POW have entertainment ?

Answer 20

They had the opportunities to organise theatrical performances / attend Church Chapel

Question 21

How did the locals respond to the Japanese rule? ( + / - )

Answer 21

Some of the locals went against the Japanese while some people supported the Japanese.

Question 22

How did the people support or collaborate with the Japanese? ( Chinese and Malay)

Answer 22

The Chinese were given opportunities to carry out the duties of the Japanese ( carrying out Sook Ching) . The Malay were given jobs like joining neighbourhood associations to identify any Anti-Japanese.

Question 23

How about those that went against or resisted the Japanese?

Answer 23

They worked with the British to get the Japanese out of Singapore. ( MPAJA) Malayan People’s Anti Japanese Army

Question 24

Who is Lim Bo Seng? (Against)

Answer 24

He was a part Force 136 with the British against the Japanese, but he was caught and they tortured him for information, but he never gave any, in the end he died in prison on 29 June 1944.

Question 25

Who is Elisabeth Choy?

Answer 25

She was a canteen stall operator with her husband and she would secretly give the British POWs food, money and messages. But she was caught and was tortured for 200 days by the Kempeitai

Question 26

When did the Japanese surrender?

Answer 26

10 August 1945

Question 27

Why did the Japanese surrender?

Answer 27

Two atomic bombs were dropped in Japan, “ Little Boy” on 6 August 1945, and “ Fat Man” on 9 August 1945.

Question 28

What ( and why) were some problems faced by the locals after the Japanese surrender? ( Food, Economy and Education in detail)

Answer 28

There were food shortages ( due to the wartime and post-war disruptions of production and shipping), Economic difficulties (removed Banana Notes as official currency), Education disruption ( some schools stopped classes for awhile during wartime, which had disrupted some of the students education, thus they provided grants and waived school fees for children that had needy families ; low income)