Yaccoob said the name Syonan wasn’t used to glorify Japanese Invasion and Occupation. Does he really understand what Syonan means in the full context in the first place?
There is a slight mis-translation in lingo context. Most English translation puts it as “Light of the South” but this is not the wholesome context. In Chinese and Japanese context, “Light” means “Pride”… for example, if a person had won the Olympic Medal and he comes from a school, then the school will say “我校之光”, simple English translation means “the light of my school” but in essence, in this context, it basically means he is “the pride of my school”! Look at it in the wholesome context, he has brought SHINE to our school.
Thus, Syonan is basically a term used by the Japan to mean This the the Glorious Pride of Japanese Empire! So how can Yaccoob comes to the conclusion that by using this name for the Memorial, he is not GLORIFYING the Japanese Invasion and Occupation?
Secondly, I get even more FUMED by the photo below:
It says “Syonan Gallery : War and its LEGACIES”
Now, WHOSE LEGACIES are we talking about here? Syonan, the Japanese Glorious Legacies? Atrocities like raping, torture, sufferings, massacred and killings… all these are “LEGACIES”? Isn’t this glorifying the Japanese Glorious Victorious Invasion and Occupation?
Source: Goh Meng Seng
