The Globe and Mail reports on the surrender of Singapore to Japan in 1942

February 15, 1942, the British colony of Malaya, including Singapore, surrendered to Japan, a pivotal World War II event. This had implications for the global Chinese diaspora and Allied nations like Canada, which contributed to war efforts against Japanese expansion. The fall of Singapore was a major blow to Allied morale. For the local populations in Malaya and Singapore, which included a significant number of ethnic Chinese, this marked the beginning of a brutal three-and-a-half-year occupation. During this period, Chinese communities often faced particularly harsh treatment, including massacres like Sook Ching in Singapore, due to Japan's ongoing war with China and local resistance activities. The event highlighted the vulnerability of colonial territories and the widespread impact of the Pacific War.