Salina Christmas

The Malaysian part of the Malay Peninsula. The Malay Peninsula covered the entirety of West Malaysia and the south of Thailand. States in these areas in both countries were once united under several kingdoms throughout the centuries.

A town in the Jasin district of Malacca in Peninsular Malaysia, some 22 km away from the ancient city of Malacca, and about 230 km from Singapore.

A guerrilla war fought in British Malaya between the military forces of the British Empire and Commonwealth, and the Malayan Communist Party (MCP). It began in 1948 and carried on until 1960, three years after Peninsular Malaysia gained independence from the British. The insurgency continued against Malaysia until 1989. See ‘State of Emergency’.

A paramilitary group that resisted the Japanese occupation from 1941 to 1945. The MPAJA was a collaboration between the Malayan Communist Party (MCP) and the British Force 136 special operations team. In the 14 days between the surrender of Japan and the British Military Administration takeover, MCP reprisals such as kangaroo court trials of Japanese…

A royal town of Perak, a northern state in Malaysia. Up to 1875, royal towns were strategically located mainly in Beruas, a maritime district, often on high grounds and in well-protected capes or estuaries. Under the British rule, after the assassination of Perak’s first British Resident J.W.W Birch in 1875, Kuala Kangsar – a very…

Also known as kshatriya, it’s one of the four varna of Hindu society associated with the warrior caste. This caste evolved from a group of people assigned to protect the cowherd that belonged to a tribe, hence the term “the keepers of the herd”. Traditionally, only kings and princes are of this caste because they…

A royal court or palace in Java. It comes from the word “keratuan”, which means the residence of the “ratu”, a title bestowed to kings and empresses.

A modern Japanese martial art that uses bamboo swords called shinai as well as protective armour called bōgu.

The military police division of the Imperial Japanese Army from 1881 to 1945.

A traditional zither of Sundanese people in Indonesia, influenced by the Chinese guzheng. Commonly played in instrumental performances accompanied by the Sundanese flute, or together with the gamelan or brass ensemble.

Literally means “the divine wind”. The Divine Wind Special Attack Unit was a Japanese aviation unit assigned to destroy the Allied warships in suicide attacks during World War 2. The fighter plane used was more like a missile that was equipped with a pilot function so it could be flown at its target. Before the…

Japanese flower arrangement. In the past, the flowers were a form of Buddhist and other spiritual offering for the prayer altar.

A Japanese sword used by samurai and soldiers in warfare and for ritualistic purposes.

Buddhist prayer beads.

The division sent to Malaya in 1941 was the 25th Army. Though the army had the upper hand in 1941, it encountered difficulties in Southeast Asia between 1943 and 1945 due to disrupted supply chain, starvation and jungle diseases.