Trodden Paths of WWII (24-25 February 2024), Day 2 - Segamat to Tangkak via Bukit Kepong

After the atomic bombs were dropped in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan surrendered on 2 September 1945 and with that, WWII ended. As Japan withdrew its troops, Britain resumed its power in Malaya.

Fast forward a few years and Malaya fell into yet another turmoil. This time, it was under siege by communist pro-independence fighters (MNLA - Malayan National Liberation Army) who wished to free Malaya from its colonial rulers and to set up a communist Malaya. The Malayan Emergency which spanned from 1948 to 1960 was coined an "emergency" and not a civil war because insurers will not pay out against war and the British needed an insurance policy that will pay out against damages and lost of lives.

Malaysia's military units can be traced back to Malay State Volunteer Rifles. They were then incorporated into Malay Regiment in 1933 with 25 men and subsequently expanded. 

As the army was a relatively new unit during the Emergency, Malaya relied heavily on the help of the police force to keep order. Back then, the Malayan Police Force (formed in 1807) only comprised of 8000 personnel, none of which were trained for jungle warfare. 

While the army fought the communist guerillas in the jungles, the police were deployed to remote towns to keep law and order. The police force were subjected to heavy casualties from constant ambush. One such ambush was at Bukit Kepong. 

The Bukit Kepong incident happened just before dawn on 23 February 1950, when the MNLA launched an assault on the police station. They had hoped to create an element of surprise expecting the sentries to be asleep. But this was not the case. 

The police personnel fought hard and refused to surrender despite numerous calls were made for them to lay down their arms. 2 wives even took up arms when they found out their husbands had fell at battle. The fighting went on for 5 hours and finally ended when the MNLA torched the police station with the families of the police personnel still inside. 

The Bukit Kepong incident serves as a reminder of the courageous sacrifices made by the policemen and their families towards law and order. Not everything can be taken by force.

Lost of lives :

14 Police officers

5 Auxiliary police

2 civilians

3 wives of police officers

2 children of police officers

40 MNLA

With the proprietor of Restoran Hau Hwa in Bukit Kepong @ https://maps.app.goo.gl/RooRAY2Z8wN9CYwA6

Kampung Bukit Senggir, along Route J 41's Jalan Pogoh

Jambatan Jalan Pogoh overlooking another broken bridge. There are no data on this broken bridge but considering this as a flood prone area, the original bridge could have been swept away by strong currents

Approaching the junction to Felcra Pogoh @ https://maps.app.goo.gl/RKchtBcvVqmoyF5H8. Today's route is more hilly than yesterday's. We also crossed many rivers!

"I TRIED CALLING YOU!!!"

I was told, this is Superman's changing room @ https://maps.app.goo.gl/Xkxbbdmq55HW7ZDH7

Restoran Hau Hwa in Bukit Kepong

Lots of old memorabilia

Cordial drinks still in its original wooden crate

They treated us to CNY cookies 

Galeri Darurat Bukit Kepong's new wing

This fort like structure is the old wing. It was used as a police station, rebuilt on the same site where the wooden police station was burnt down in 1950

The police station in 2007

Another angle of the police station before it was turned into a museum on 24 February 2017

Old photo of the police station that was burnt down

The gardens

Jetty on a floating pontoon

Muar River

There were lots of hills on today's route

Or should we call it WALL?

Attack ?

Or Despair?

Durian stop @ https://maps.app.goo.gl/TCt3iG9rUDafYQr36

Uncle's durian was not very good but at RM12 per kilo, we can't complain too much. Only the 1st fruit was good and he kept talking non stop to deflect our complaints. By the time we left his stall, we already found out he has more than 20 acres of  durian trees, his son stays in Bukit Indah and works as a contractor in interior design and renovation in Singapore. Apparently, he also drove a Mercedes Benz with a Singapore number plate 555!

Sagil in search for the wantan mee but to no avail. In the end we had to content with pau before making the final run for Tangkak @ https://maps.app.goo.gl/Fp4YBWV3AgkLGmWg7

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Some of the exhibits at Galeri Darurat Bukit Kepong