When the United States, Britain, France, Germany and other European countries commemorated the 60th anniversary of Operation Overlord, or D-Day or the Invasion of Normandy, a young relative of this writer in his mid-30s asked: What happened 60 years ago in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore when they was under Japanese occupation? Did we also have our Operation Overlord or D-Day? If not, why not? If yes, then why nobody seems to know or care, let alone commemorates it?

This writer told him that, while we indeed did not have a massive and spectacular operation like Operation Overlord in June 1944, there were several not insignificant military operations mounted, or planned to be mounted by the Allied from Australia and India/Ceylon (Sri Lanka), to liberate Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore. There were, among others, Operation Jaywick (Australian), Operation Rimau (Australian), Operations Gustavus (Anglo-Chinese, Communists), Operation Hebrides (British), Operation Jukebox (American) and Operation Zipper (British), Operation Mailfist (British) and Operation Young (American).

We also had our local and heroic resistance to the Japanese occupation just like the French, Greek and other parts of Occupied Europe and China, namely the Malayan People's Anti-Japanese Army (MPAJA), Force 136, Askar Setia Melayu (Perak), Wataniah (Pahang) and Anak Melayu Setia (Kedah). Before the fall of Singapore, there were the Malay Regiment and the Anglo-Chinese Dalforce which, together with the British, Australian and Indian troops, fought against the invasion.

That history books in schools or universities in Malaysia do not mention them does not mean those brave endeavors did not exist or not important. Fortunately, the history has been reconstructed and preserved in Singapore, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, China and Japan, and one of the most prominent surviving participants, Chin Peng was willing to speak up.