** This post is dedicated to Mr Chye Kooi Loong who passed away in April 2014. Mr Chye, a local historian, fought for decades for the last trail of the Battle of Kampar - the Green Ridge - to be gazetted into a heritage site and war monument. But until today, the state government (let alone, the federal agencies) did not do anything to preserve the site which still contain traces of the battle such as machine gun nests, bunkers and war trenches. Mr Chye held a lot of talks and lectures in military colleges in Malaysia and overseas on the World War II in Malaya especially the Battle of Kampar. ** To Mr Chye Kooi Loong, rest in peace! I do hope and share your passion that one day the site for the Battle of Kampar will be recognized by the government as an important place in our countrys history! Battle of Malaya : Day 23 On this day in 1941, the British troops aided by the Indian Brigades clashed with the Japanese troops in Kampar. The British have no high expectation to win this Kampar battle as they were given orders from the top to stall the advancement of the Japanese troops and buy time for the remaining soldiers to continue retreating to the south of Malaya. Having conceded Ipoh to the Japanese on Boxing Day, the British regrouped in Kampar to tactically inflict a blow to the relentless Japanese troops. Approximately 1300 British and Indian soldiers battled against 4000-strong Japanese team in this four-day long major stand in Kampar. For the British, they knew Kampar will fall no matter what but the strategically positioned defence there gave confidence to them to at least slow down the Japanese from reaching Kuala Lumpur before New Year 1942. The British are now 32 days away from losing Malaya excluding the additional 15 days from losing as well the Gibraltar of the East - Singapore. #BattleofMalaya #ChyeKooiLoong #WorldWarII
Posted on: Tue, 30 Dec 2014 09:34:40 +0000
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