"My colleagues and I are of that generation of young men who went through the Second World War and the Japanese Occupation and emerged determined that no one - neither the Japanese nor the British - had the right to push and kick us around. We were determined that we could govern ourselves and bring up ourchildren in a country where we can be proud to be a self-respecting people. When the war came to an end in 1945, there was never a chance of the old type of British colonial system ever being re-created. The scales had fallen from our eyes and we saw for ourselves that the local people could run the country."
- Mr Lee Kuan Yew , 1961
When we think of the Japanese Occupation, what comes to mind immediately are images of destruction, execution, separation and the question of survival. The Japanese Occupation is a vital link in understanding the modern history of Singapore --- it sets the stage for the forging of a common destiny and nation building. ^^^
