Reasons For Japanese Invasion Of Malaya
On 8 december 1941 the japanese forces led by lieutenant general yamashita landed at kota bharu on the border of malaya and thailand.
Reasons for japanese invasion of malaya. The japanese commander for the attack on malaya was general yamashita. Kota bharu capital of kelantan state on malaysia s northeast coast was in 1941 the royal air force s raf and royal australian. During the battle of malaya kesatuan melayu muda members assisted the japanese as they believed that the japanese would give malaya independence. The japanese invasion of malaya began just after midnight on 8 december 1941 local time before the attack on pearl harbor it was the first major battle of the pacific war and was fought between ground forces of the british indian army and the empire of japan.
Close to the time of the japanese invasion yaacob ishak muhammad and a number of kesatuan melayu muda leaders were arrested and imprisoned by the british. In 1939 malaya was the resource of 40 of the world s rubber and 60 of the world s tin. The capture of singapore would provide japan with a highly valuable military base in the region and it would also greatly undermine british authority in the region. Throughout much of world war ii malaya north borneo later known as sabah labuan and sarawak were under japanese occupation.
The reason for the rapid of japanese invasion to malaya can be shown from before invasion and after invasion started. That fact alone interested japanese expansionists but others additional reasons sealed the approval on the invasion planning that started in early 1941.