Japanese troops advancing through Kuala Lumpur, 1942 and 2016
In December 1941, Japan invaded British-held colonies, including Malaya (currently Malaysia). Malaya held rich rubber and tin resources. Britain exported these resources to their allies to help their war efforts, resources Japan wanted to control. Malaya, including the city of Kuala Lumpur, was an important tactical point for Japan’s plans to expand their oil resources and occupied boundaries. Japan’s offensive was successful, as the British had underestimated Japan’s ability to take the country. Officials quickly abandoned Kuala Lumpur. Japanese forces, as seen in the 1942 image, weeded out resistance cells in the city. Japanese forces held the city’s major buildings, such as the train station, government offices, and Pudu Jail. Pudu Jail, used as a POW detention center, was a brutal place full of disease and little food. Kuala Lumpur remained occupied by Japan until September of 1945, when it went back to the British.