Bloody Conspiracy Theorists

Ever since JFK was assassinated in 1963, conspiracy theorists have grown in force including here in malaysia. Their theories range from the plausible category to complete and utter bollocks. There is one such guy on CARI Forum who posted stories of the supernatural and of course, conspiracy, mainly involving the sultanate of Johor. Whilst most of them makes intriguing read his newest gets into the category of "complete, utter bollocks".

He proposed a theory on why the Johor Military Force did not positively engage the invading Japanese troops during World War 2. While I am curious to know the answer, his 'explanation' makes me want to tear out all of my remaining hair! Here's what he said.....

"The year was 1939, 5 years before war started"

As everybody knows, World War 2 STARTED in 1939. Even if he refers to the Pacific War, it was only TWO years later! Addendum: he argued that World War 2 became World War 2 after December 1941 when it became a global conflict. Whilst true in the strictest sense, virtually all the records and historians agree that the period designated "World War 2" started on 1 September 1939.

"Adolf Hitler makes an appearance before a Malay Sultan (assuming that the Sultan is Sultan Ibrahim) who was visiting France"

I believe there is no such record of the Fuhrer visiting France in 1939 for whatever reasons especially when relationship between the two countries deteriorated following the annexation of Czechoslovakia. Besides, I have never heard a head of state meets another in a hostile country. Furthermore, wouldn't it be more plausible if the Fuhrer invites the Sultan to Berlin?

"After His Majesty's return, the JMF were issued with Fascist-style (presumably SS) uniforms complete with arm bands"

No picture, no talk as the saying goes. Besides, the photo of my wife's late grandfather shows nothing of the sorts. Even a picture of Sultan Ibrahim shows His Majesty in a very British Army style uniform.

"Not long after that, a group of Germans opened a tobacco plantation in Muar and another group operates as boat and ship supplier on the east coast of johor, probably setting up a harbour"

Considering these people are clasified as 'enemy aliens' it is doubtful that they can operate freely in a British-allied land defended by British and Commonwealth armed forces. Besides the East Coast of Johor was very undeveloped at this time and it is doubtful that they want to establish a shipping company there where there is little or no infrastructure.

"At the same time the Sultan employed military officers from Austria (a Nazi Ally) to train the Johor Police and Military"

Again it is doubtful that a British-friendly leader would engage officers from an enemy country. Besides, in 1939 Austria has ceased to be an independent country, being swallowed by the Anschluss a year earlier. So any Austrian officer would be a member of the Wehrmacht (or the Waffen-SS)

"The British chose not to intervene as the Sultan has gifted 500,000 Pound Sterling to Queen Victoria during her birthday. Those who oppose were transferred to Singapore"

Assuming that the gift was given in 1939, I wonder if there is some sort of posthumous birthday as Queen Victoria died in 1901! And if I was a British civil servant at that time, I would willingly raise up the issue and be sent to Singapore as life in Singapore is very idyllic for a colonial officer!

"When war broke out, two British warships, the Prince Of Wales (gifted to the British by the Sultan of Perak) and another (the Repulse) was sunk by the Japanese air force."

The only truth here is that the two warships were bombed and sunk. The 'gifted' ship is actually HMS Malaya which had entered service in 1916 and gifted by the government of the Federated Malay States. Addendum: one of this guy's supporters argued that HMS Malaya was torpedoed by a U-Boat in Asian waters in 1941. Which makes me wonder if Cape Verde Islands has somehow shifted its position in the Atlantic to Indian or Pacific Ocean.....

"Both of these ships are class B (whatever he means but I believe refers to battleships)...heavily guarded with anti aircraft (guns) impossible to be sunk by air attacks"

The sinking of Force Z together with the attack on Pearl harbor and Taranto signals the end of the battleships' role as capital ships. The possibility of ships being sunk by air attacks had been amply demonstrated by Billy Mitchell in the 1920s and maybe one can also ask the crews of Yamato, Musashi, Hiei, Haruna, Hyuga, Ise, Tirpitz and Admiral Scheer - all sunk by air attacks. And it also doesn't matter if you have hundreds of AA guns - the Yamato was armed with four 13mm machine guns, 162 25mm guns, 24 5-inch guns and the nine big 18 inch guns can fire special AA shells; yet she was sunk by the aircraft of the US 3rd Fleet. It all comes down on whether you control the skies above your ships.

"In most probability they were sunk by submarine launched torpedoes..yes the German harbour in the east were 'equipped' with U Boats which can operate in shallow seas as the Japanese do not have that technology yet"

Obviously this guy has never heard of air-droppable torpedoes used all around the world. And saying that the Japanese do not have the 'technology' to operate submarines in shallow waters is an insult. Force Z was originally sighted by a Japanese submarine, the I-65, which shadowed them for 5 hours and later the I-58 spotted them on their way back to Singapore. I-58 attempted to attack but all the torpedoes missed and she later lost contact with the force. As for the German 'base'...would you really think that the Brits would allow it? Besides, German U-Boats did not operate in the Far East until later in the war - to act as transports to bring back desperately needed valuable materials to Germany. Addendum: I-65 and I-58 were just two of SIX Japanese submarines forming a patrol line 50 miles off the coast of Terengganu with the obvious intention of reporting and intercepting any force brought by the Allies in order to stop the landings at Kota Bahru, Singora and Patani. And the subs later conducted further patrols in the South China Sea, resulting in a number of further sinkings of minor warships and transports. Furthermore if the Japanese did not have the technology to operate in shallow waters, why the hell did they bring midget subs to participate in the attack on the even more shallow Pearl Harbor and Sydney?

And finally
"The U-Boat base at Mersing coast....still unidentifiable until today"

When something does not exist AT ALL, it is hard to find the remains! Besides building a proper harbour facility (bear in mind that this 'harbour' is also alleged to be a shipyard) is not the same as building a fisheries facility. The harbour would have machine shops, construction facility, docking facility and weapons facility (since a U-Boat is based there). All of which can be traced today even if the Brits ordered total demolition of the facilities.

Apparently this guy based his allegations on just one book "The fall Of British Asia" where the writers alleged that Hitler received the Sultan in secret in 1939 and that he has the stones to challenge me about the 'true nature' of sinking of Force Z whereas the attack on Force Z is one of the most scrutinized attack in World War 2. And finally, what makes me want to tear my scalp out is that someone said that "this is unknown history...tell me more!" People are so keen on revising history that anything out of the ordinary is considered 'unknown history and need to be exposed'. Knowing these conspiracy theorists I'd rather pull back rather than getting myself embroiled in a stupid argument. Addendum: The book merely alleged that Hitler met with the Sultan in 1939 and consequently the usage of the 'fascist' uniform. The rest I believe were totally made up by that guy!