Twenty-five civil society groups, representing Malaysian World War Two victims and their families, may initiate legal action against Tokyo to claim for the restitution of the money taken 'under duress and threat' by Japanese occupation forces.

According to lawyer Ser Choong Ing, who acts on behalf of the groups, the legal action would be initiated at the Kuala Lumpur High Court 'in one or two months'.

He said between February and July 1942, the high command of Imperial Japan's occupation forces under Lt-Gen Tomoyuki Yamashita told the Chinese community here and in Singapore to 'contribute' a mammoth sum of money to the military administration as a 'gift' or 'token of appreciation for being left alive'.

According to archival documents, the sum finally paid in the form of a cheque to Tomoyuki amounted to 50 million straits dollars.

"Our legal team is finalising the calculation and conversion of the figures for Peninsular Malaysia, and our clients demand, among other things, monetary restitution plus interests," said Ser.

He also revealed that among the claimants were two Chinese clan associations in Selangor that still keep the receipts for the money taken away.

Nationwide exhibition

In another development, a nationwide exhibition of the pictures and photographs of the Malayan War of Resistance against Japanese Occupation will be held starting Aug 14 at the Nilai Memorial Park to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Malaya.

According to the exhibition committee's chairperson Tan Kai Hee, the People's Republic of China has agreed to donate some 90 items to be exhibited in Malaysia. Tan is also the secretary-general of the Malaysia-China Friendship Association.

The exhibition will also be held in Johor Baru, Muar, Seremban, Kampar, Ipoh, Penang, Alor Setar, Kuantan, Kuala Trengganu and Kota Baru.

During the Pacific War, Imperial Japan's 25th army invaded and occupied Malaya and Singapore for 44 months.

After British troops surrendered on Feb 15, 1942, an irregular warfare of resistance was waged by the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) and the Malayan People's Anti-Japanese Army (MPAJA).

In a memorial service held in 2003 in Kuala Lumpur to honour the memory of 18 top communist leaders and Malayan People's Anti-Japanese Army (MPAJA) commanders and soldiers killed by Japanese troops in Batu Caves near Kuala Lumpur, it was recalled that during the Occupation, about 70,000 people of all ethnic communities were killed and another 80,000 perished due to torture and imprisonment.

It was also recalled that an additional 300,000 died because of malnutrition and physical exhaustion due to force hard labour.

Singapore's Civilian War Memorial records that some 50,000 unarmed Chinese in the city were rounded up and massacred in one operation that began on Feb 18, 1942, three days after the capitulation of British troops.