Malayan Peoples' Anti-Japanese Army
The Malayan People's Anti-Japanese Army (MPAJA) was a resistance group on the Malay Peninsula that waged a guerrilla war against the Japanese occupiers during the Pacific War . After the end of the war they turned against the British colonial rulers under the leadership of the Communist Party of Malaysia and called themselves Malayan Races Liberation Army (MRLA). They waged their struggle for independence until the late 1950s .
As part of the planning of a defense against Japanese penetration into Southeast Asia and thus also onto the Malay Peninsula, the British opened a foreign mission in Singapore in May 1941 . From there they planned counter-actions in enemy-occupied areas. The groups provided for this purpose also included the overseas Chinese who went through special training. Shortly before the fall of Singapore in February 1942, the British sent the Chinese into the jungle so that they could lead a guerrilla fight against the Japanese army from there . Some of the surviving Europeans also joined the Chinese, as did remnants of China's overseas voluntary army (→ Dalforce ).
In total, the MPAJA consisted of eleven battalions with around 13,000 fighters. When British Force 136 landed at Segari in Perak in May 1943 , they managed to contact MPAJA about three months later. In November of that year, representatives of the MPAJA and the British signed an agreement that assured the MPAJA fighters support with supplies of weapons, ammunition and other materials. In addition, MPAJA members received military training from British instructors. The MPAJA was subordinated to the Supreme Commander of Southeast Asia, Lord Louis Mountbatten .
In February 1945, more British soldiers from Force 136 jumped over the Malay Peninsula to prepare for the retake. But before a large-scale uprising could take place, the Japanese capitulated and the war was over.
The MPAJA members came out of the jungle after the war, broke with the British and began a struggle for freedom under the command of the Malay communists. They occupied villages and towns with the aim of forming an independent Malay government. It was only after British Colonel John Davies (Colonel) had two months of lengthy negotiations with Communist leader Chin Peng that the MPLA was disarmed on December 1, 1945. Each fighter received $ 350 in compensation and the MPAJA was officially dissolved.
In May 1948, the main leaders of the Malay Communists left Singapore to resume their struggle in the Malay Federation . Many former MPAJA members have been recruited. The fight lasted almost twelve years.