Thursday, May 7, 2015

Nathan Had A Close Shave

"And so I entered the employment of the Japanese civilian police (Keimubu), in which I stayed for the rest of the war, until the Japanese surrender," wrote S R Nathan in his book, "An Unexpected Journey, Path to the Presidency". His loyal service with the Nips would see him go through three inspector-generals of police (IGP).

At the police headquarters in Johore Bahru, a report was received stating that the Malayan People's Anti-Japanese Army (MPAJA) had attacked and occupied Segamat town for a few hours.

In late 1944, Nathan was asked by the IGP to accompany him on an inspection visit to a police post deep in the Kota Tinggi-Kluang triangle. Escorted by a platoon from the Special Police force, the Tokubetsu Keisatsu Tai, they arrived at the operational headquarters of the MPAJA Independent Regiment only to find it had been vacated earlier. On the return trip, there was an exchange of gunfire near Kangkar Sisir, the designated launch pick-up point. While washing up with the river water, Nathan thought the sting on his neck was an insect bite.

It was at the Johore Bahru General Hospital a few days later, where he had sought medication for a cold, that the examining doctor told him the "bite" was a gunfire wound: "My boy, you are damned lucky. Had it been half-an-inch different you would have been dead." Three bullets had grazed his neck.

Informed, the IGP said he must have been the intended target, as Nathan was standing just behind him. As compensation, he was rewarded with an envelope of money and cartons of cigarettes which, said Nathan, fetched more than a month's salary in the black market. Decades later, the man would only accept hard cash, in the order of taxpayer millions.
In white shirt, third from left, cuddling puppy

22 comments:

  1. Sir Tattler, as usual your write up came with a sting, this time around it's the last line. Well said!!

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  2. My grandfather died during the Japanese occupation; my father was hit so hard he lost hearing in one ear. And, HE worked for THEM?

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  3. Is "running dog" sound familiar?

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  4. So anywhere in the book did he confess how many deaths he has caused due to his snitching? Any part in the sook-ching massacre? Once again, is a one-man's words against the thousand dead.

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  5. Quite a "stroke" of good luck back then. How about now?

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  6. You mean to say he is so dumb as not being able to distinguish between a bullet wound and a mosquito bite and yet we have a dumb man appointed as our President?

    Or was it more possible he did not want tell the the truth that he was targetted as a traitor by his own people? Which would possibly implicate another one of his kind at the same time?

    Could that be the most likely reason why he was appointed for keeping a fully guarded secret ?

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    1. Maybe he's trying to tell us he was taking all the shots aimed at somebody else, to justify the fat pay - as much as s$4 million a year - for sitting around in the Istana.

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    2. Highest paid President Singapore has ever had.
      Ballpark in the region of $30 million +/- ?

      How many comfort women/daughters will have to be sacrificed in order to make that kind of money, one wonders. Since that was one of the primary roles of the Tokkeitai, responsible for recruiting "comfort women" for official brothels set up in areas under Navy jurisdiction. Many, perhaps most, of these women were recruited against their will. The Tokkeitai also are alleged to have massacred hundreds of persons suspected of involvement in Communist plots in Borneo, while the Tokkeitai at Kendari killed a number of prisoners of war, including all the surviving crew of destroyer Edsall, sunk south of Java in March 1942.

      http://pwencycl.kgbudge.com/T/o/Tokkeitai.htm

      http://www.west-point.org/family/japanese-pow/Internment.pdf

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    3. /// Highest paid President Singapore has ever had.
      Ballpark in the region of $30 million +/- ? ///

      Not just Singapore; some said Batam or even JB.
      Heck, not just Singapore's highest. Must be the world's highest. No, make that the universe.

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  7. The Tokkai is a very elusive group during the WW2 of Japanese era.

    This is a very instructive how-to-book on From Turncoat to President.

    http://self.gutenberg.org/articles/Tokubetsu_K%C5%8Dt%C5%8D_Keisatsu

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  8. Could not see any spy names listed in here. Maybe they don't crucify 16yo kids and trial them like adults at those times like we do now.

    http://nosmut.com/Tokubetsu_K%C5%8Dt%C5%8D_Keisatsu.html

    http://nosmut.com/List_of_Japanese_spies,_1930%E2%80%9345.html

    http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/specials/noprisoners/viewpoints/elphick.htm

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  9. Sook ching was never taught in history books here, and the reason seems obvious. In fact, history is not taught in schools anymore, and the reasons are also quite obvious, who needs history when you have the ST?

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    1. Who needs history books when you have "My Singapore Story", "Hard Truths", "From Third Word to First", "An Unexpected Journey", duh, duh.........?

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  10. Incredible. He put all these in his book, working with the Nips? The other one diam diam only. Makes one wonder who is the idiot (frank? naive?), and who is the sly one. Anyway, in spite of all these, they were both elevated to the highest positions in the country. Damned lucky, twice lucky for one, who "has always been a fighter". We must be daft.

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    1. Nathan is there to draw attention away from the other one.
      To make it look "normal" to serve the Japanese during World War Two.
      Or maybe Nathan was the President on his own merits?

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    2. When LHL says that Nathan "has always been a fighter", does it include working for the Japanese against the anti-Japanese forces? What does that make him?

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  11. My Late Father escaped the Japanese Murder during WWII by jumping out of the Japanese Military Truck. He was not able to forget the harrowing experience and kept saying he was just lucky and blessed.

    Ironicaly, my Father was not aware that Lee Kuan Yew and SR Nathan worked for the Japanese Army and voted for them during elections. My family as a whole did not know that part of history, the Japanese Occupation and the Betrayors working for the Japanese Murderers/Rapists/Plunderers.
    Those who knew and yet adulate the Japs and Those working for them were/are just as sinful and despicable.

    patriot

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  12. While the people were fighting the enemies, he was working for them?
    Not to cast aspersions of wrong doings, but there were 1001 jobs elsewhere and he being educated had to work for the enemies?
    Only in Sinkieland would one be elevated to position of President and another as PM.
    Only in Sinkieland that a 16 year blogger had to be handcuffed and shackled like a terrorist for 'hurting the feelings' of apple polishers and bootlickers

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  13. When a country is led by "principled" men with hypocritical Asian values that have no gumption to pay millions to minions for loyalty, their cynicism can only lead to misery and disaster for the common men.

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  14. Wow! Another photo taken with the murderous and rapist Japs. Confirmed trusted Jap spy!

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  15. Clear for all to see that the Republic was built on strong foundations! But then, it is the same story at history's every turn. In Russia, so many ex Tsarists, quickly switched sides, same can be said with Qing officials quickly cut their pigtails to assume the same official under a so called Republic. Same job, just different banner. Indeed it is rare for nations to be founded by principled men such as Washington. Right makes might dudes, joint the mightiest side.

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  16. The Next Shave for SR Nathan

    shall be a sharp final one to

    the Hade.

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