1.1 INTRODUCTIONThe Second World War was, in some ways, one of the lowestpoints in Malaysia's history. Japanese forces landed on the northeastborder of Malaya on 8 December 194 1 and, in one month,succeeded in establishing their control of both Peninsula Malayaand Sabah and Sarawak. On 15 March 1942, Singaporesurrendered. Singapore was renamed Shonan and became thecentre of a regional administrative headquarters that incorporatedthe Straits Settlements, and the Federated Malay States andSumatra. Much like the British who had installed residents in theMalay ruling houses fifty years earlier, the Japanese appointedlocal governors to each state. The only difference was that thistime, it was the Sultans who were placed in the positions ofadvisors. The Unfederated Malay States, Perlis, Kedah, Kelantanand Terengganu found themselves back under the sovereignty ofThailand in 1942, when Thailand declared war on Britain and theUSA. Most large scale economic activities grounded to a haltduring the period of the War. The production of tin which wasalready falling before the War stopped almost completely. Peopleturned their occupation away from the cultivation of commercialcrops, concentrating instead on planting rice and vegetables toensure they did not go hungry. [1]