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Synopsis :

This is the second talk by Dr Wang Gung Wu of the University of Malaya in the radio series 'History of Malaysian Territories'. He focuses here on the eight eventful years from 1941-1948 of the Japanese Occupation and Post-war Malaya. The theme of the talk is 'Power and Responsibility from the Core of Political Life'. It covers:

- Significance of the Japanese occupation from the point of view of political change;
- First break in the continuity of colonial rule and real beginning of a new era;
- World War II destroys old confidence and supremacy of western Europe. Two new powers emerges, Russia and America;
- New Age brought about by Communist challenge against the West, the United States' response to unaccustomed leadership of anti-communist and anti-imperialist world and Britain's recognition that more could be salvaged by reason than by force;
- Mistake made by Japan to replace Western imperialism by Japanese imperialism;
- Occupation period in Malaya is an awakening of Malayan politics;
- Japanese tear down structure of government and change concept of law to that of armed force. Do little for economy;
- Japanese attempt to redraw frontiers of Malaya;
- People realise the need to be alert and strong to avoid this happening again;
- Japanese Occupation gives taste of power: Japanese power and Malaya's own potential power to free themselves from colonial rule;
- 2 vital legacies from Japanese Occupation: effects on communal relations in the country and the strenght and support of the Malayan Communist Party;
- How 3 crucial years after Occupation (1945) have determined present political life;
- Malaya Union Proposals;
- New Generation of Malaya Leaders. Acceptance of Dato Onn Bin Jaffar who forms UMNO to fight the Malayan Union proposal;
- Growing awareness of English-educated professional men (non-Malay lawyers, doctors, teachers) that they have the right to share powers in new Malaya;
- Threat of the Malayan Communist Party (MCP) who are given considerable freedom to flourish after the war because they are regarded as "war heroes" by British;
- How the MCP hopeto lead the nationalist movement against British Rule; its methods and its failure;
- Limited politics of colonial Malaya gives way to mass political parties, rallies and resolutions;
- British forced to re-think their imperial strategy;
- Malaya leaders challenge the Malayan Union proposals on moral and constitutional grounds;
- Fresh compromise is the Federation of Malaya;
- New Malayan leaders emerge.