Episode 14: Whose Country?

World War II in Southeast Asia was a minor disagreement compared to what came after. With the defeat of the Japanese and end of World War II came the real conflict in Southeast Asia, one that continues to define Southeast Asia to this day: the battle between Southeast Asians for ownership over the newly independent states. Central to this conflict was the question of identity. If you control the definition of a national identity, you can control the membership of a nation, and thus control ownership of a nation-state. In this episode, PJ Thum discusses the opening salvoes of Malaya’s most vicious, savage, violent battle: the battle over Malayan identity. 

Please send questions, comments, and feedback to thehistoryofsingapore@gmail.com or visit thehistoryofsingapore.com. Support the show at patreon.com/pjthum. For all the previous episodes in this series, search for "History of Singapore" on bfm.my.