History on Repeat #7: Malaya and the Second World War

History on Repeat is an eight-part miniseries that aims to delve into key aspects of Malaysian history. While we won’t be able to cover every period and topic in our vast and complex past, we will be having a series of conversations on key subjects, places and themes, and discussing why our history still matters today. Many of us are familiar with stories of the Japanese Occupation of Malaya during the Second World War, which have been passed down through the years by our relatives and friends who witnessed the war firsthand. In this segment, we place these stories into their broader historical context, asking questions about the economic impact of the war on Malaya, how the war and its aftermath shaped new political spaces for Malayans to consider a future outside of the British Empire, and how the war has been remembered and memorialised. To help us take a fresh look at this important and turbulent period in our country’s history, we speak with Professor Gregg Huff, Senior Research Fellow at Pembroke College, University of Oxford.

History on Repeat #1: Archaeology and the Roots of the Malay World

History on Repeat #2: Rethinking Melaka and the Sejarah Melayu

History on Repeat #3: Portuguese and Dutch Legacies in the Malay Peninsula

History on Repeat #4: Nineteenth-Century Women of Malaya

History on Repeat #5: British Malaya through the Lens of Architecture

History on Repeat #6: Migration and the Making of Chinese and Indian Diasporas in Malaysia

History on Repeat #8: The Making of Malaysian Identities