Robert Kuok: Politicians who say Japanese invaders liberated us from British ‘racists’

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 16 ― Malaysian tycoon Robert Kuok today lambasted Malaysian politicians who claim that Japanese occupiers had liberated then Malaya from British colonialists, calling those who do so “racists”.

In a rare interview with the media, Kuok told Osaka-based Asahi Shimbun that although he now has a cordial relationship with the Japanese, he hopes they will not “repeat their stupid actions” during World War II.

“To me, that is a racist statement. It is true that the Japanese soldiers did not do as much harm to the Malays as they did to the Chinese,” he replied, when asked about such politicians.

“The Japanese felt that their natural enemies were Shinajin (Chinese). But the Malaysian Chinese who were killed, are they not Malaysians?” he reportedly asked.

Kuok had, prior to that, refused to change the minds of Japanese who believe that its colonial forces had liberated Malaya.

“There is nothing I can say or do because I cannot change what you want to believe. All I can say is, what if the shoe is on the other foot? If your mother, your sister, your wife, your girlfriend, were brutalised?

“I have worked with Japanese companies and I have an understanding of the Japanese people. I am a friend of the Japanese. But at the same time, I hope they will not repeat their stupid actions,” he said.

The paper had interviewed him to share his experience of the fighting in the Asia-Pacific region during World War II.

The Empire of Japan invaded British Malaya and occupied it between 1941 and 1945, until its surrender to the Allied Forces.

The Federation of Malaya would afterwards be administered again by the British until its Independence in 1957, and later form Malaysia with Singapore, North Borneo (now Sabah), and Sarawak in 1963.

The so-called “Sugar King” is now the 104th richest man in the world according to Forbes, down from 96th place in last year’s edition.

Now based in Hong Kong, he was part of the Council of Eminent Persons that advised Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his Cabinet in the first 100 days of Pakatan Harapan’s election victory.