Lord Louis Mountbatten, Supreme Allied Commander South East Asia, awards medals to members of the Malayan People's Anti-Japanese Army (MPAJA) and other members of the Malayan resistance at the Municipal Building, Singapore.

Royal Marine band playing. View from the steps of the Municipal Building with senior officers and the conductor; pan to the band and a waiting car. Mountbatten departs and the camera follows his car. Two guerillas in the back of an open car. Three MPAJA guerillas likewise. Cars departing. Senior officers in the grounds of the Municipal Building followed by a number of civilian officials, members of the MPAJA and other guerillas. The group poses for a photo. Royal Marine band on the Padang, the green space in front of the Municipal Building. Mountbatten addressing the crowd. Eight members of the MPAJA in line. The first guerilla (Chin Peng? See note) is decorated; he salutes Mountbatten with a clenched fist. More guerillas are decorated. Seated senior officers applaud. More guerillas are decorated. Royal Marine band marching and countermarching. Mountbatten reading his speech. Band marching. Cars arriving. A good shot shows Mountbatten arriving by car in the foreground, parade saluting in the background, and ships in the harbour behind. Band playing. Parade. Long lens view of Mountbatten inspecting a guard of the Highland Light Infantry. Union flag flying. Spectators on balconies. Spectators on the Padang. Spectators on the street. Crowd and band of the 1st Battalion Cameronians.

Notes

Still photographs by Sergeant Hardy, held by the Imperial War Museum's Photograph Archive, suggest that the first guerilla to receive his medal is Chin Peng. A Chinese Malayan from Perak, he acted as the MPAJA's liaison with the Allies during the war, and (illustrating the turbulent political changes of this region and period) within a few years would be the leader of the Malayan Communist Party during the Malayan Emergency.

Captions also name a Lieu Yau (Liew Yao), Chan Yeung Pan, Fuk Lung, Lin Chang, Chen Tien, Lao Wong, Ho Siew Lit, Chong Ching, Woo (Wu?) Chye Sin, Tan Sian Yay, Yeop Mahidin, Abdul Abdullah Bin Ta'ani and Feh Teh Chung (all spellings questionable).

Besides the MPAJA, other guerilla groups represented include the Pahang Wataniah (by Yeop Mahidin) and Dalforce (Feh Teh Chung).

Given that the Allies had entered into a 'marriage of convenience' with the Malayan Communist Party, and with whom the end of hostilities had brought a rapid souring of relations, there is an obvious political component to these presentations.