Editor’s Note: It seems to me that the claim of RM 270 billion is mistaken (perhaps in yen = RM 9,028,465,731.69). Even so, the amount remains in question but so does the disposition of the funds. Where are they, who has them, who was responsible? All are valid and necessary queries , especially for a nation who was under the hand of a PM who claimed Islam was the nation’s religion and thus also, its accountable estate under heaven’s gaze. – oz
See also: http://hantulautan.blogspot.com/2013/01/japans-war-reparationsthe-mythbuster.html
January 6, 2013 By Chua Jui Meng
The money – RM207 billion – is believed to have been transferred by the Japanese government to Malaysia in the 1990s. What has happened to it?
The revelation by the Japanese Embassy that it had paid compensation to the Malaysian government for families of victims of the so called “Death Railway” project in the 1940s is shocking.
The sum of RM207 billion or whatever the amount must be revealed by Mahathir. He was close to the Japanese government and corporate sector when he promoted his Look East Policy aimed at enhancing trade with Japan.
The money, believed to be amounting to RM207 billion, was meant to be distributed to some 30,000 Malaysians who had been recruited as forced labourers by the Japanese to build the Thai-Burma rail link.
This means each affected family is entitled to receive between RM2.8 million and RM3 million as compensation.
The stinking part of the Umno-led Barisan Nasional federal government is that the public is today unaware of the compensation payment by the Japanese. We would have thought Mahathir would have brought the money back from Japan in triumph, like a victorious Roman general. UMNO would have organized a huge gathering of the victims or their families and distributed the money. No, it was all covered in secrecy.
National probe needed
The money rightfully belongs to the victims of the “Death Railway” project and their families and to rob them is despicable. The money is believed to have been transferred by the Japanese government to Malaysia in the 1990s. This means it happened during Mahathir’s 22-year reign. So … Where is it?
The government should immediately set up a national probe team to track down the thief/thieves to recover the money and for prosecution. Surely there are paper trails, beginning with the transfer/s from the Japanese to the Malaysian government.
Meanwhile, Japan can do further justice to the 30,000 Malaysian forced labourers who died in the “Death Railway” project by revealing their identities so that their families are traced.
Chua Jui Meng is PKR vice-president and Johor state chief. He is also a former MCA vice-president and an ex-Cabinet member.
Embassy clarifies report on ‘Death Railway’ compensation
| Harakahdaily, | 07 January 2013 |
Jan 7: The Japanese embassy in Kuala Lumpur has clarified a report by Harakahdaily quoting Bukit Gantang member of parliament Nizar Jamaluddin.
Nizar, who heads Jejak, a secretariat formed to investigate the claim that compensation paid by Tokyo to the Malaysian government for victims of the Death Railway project has yet to reach them, had last week met officials of the embassy to get more details.
In its report, Harakahdaily quoted Jejak as saying that the embassy’s second secretary Takaharu Suegami confirmed money had been paid to the Malaysian government in the 1990s.
In a short email to Jejak clarifying the report, the embassy said it was not aware of any other compensation paid to Malaysia other than the 1967 agreement between Tokyo and Kuala Lumpur.
Under the deal signed in September 1967, the two governments agreed that Japan would pay “blood money” to the Malaysian government being settlement of the issue of compensation to those forced to work on the “Death Railway”, an ambitious project by the Japanese imperial power to link Burma and Thailand with 400-kilometres of railway tracks.
The Japanese embassy also further clarified today that the undisclosed amount was transfered “around 1970’s or 80’s”, but added that it had to check with its government on the list of victims as well as whether there has been any other compensation.
Nizar had earlier suggested that based on documents he had, Japan had paid some RM207 billion to the Malaysian government in 2004, while the money had yet to be distributed to family members of the estimated 30,000 Malaysians who worked as forced labourers for the project.
44 responses to “Who hijacked the Death Railway money Japan Paid to Malaysia??”
an interesting paper trail…did it leave japan partially and nestled into switzerland partiailly?.
The rascal Mahatir,has swindled the 30,000 death railway compensation fund which was actually given to the people who have suffered n died during.The Japanese at least had the considerstions and conscience to compensate,after realizing their mistakes done by their predecessors.They hve learned the expensive mistakes with sufferings of genetations over the bombings carried out on Hirishima n Nagasaki in the year 1945 tht brought them to their knees.They hve realized money is useless against life,that’s why they compensated.’It was a day light robery’ by this Mahatir. This was confirmed by Bank Negara when Dato Seri Nijar Jamaludding former Menteri Besar of Perak made an approach to extract details soon after winning and forming the State govt. Former Bank Negara Governor Zeti did confirm with Dato Seri Nijar tht the money was taken out in three unnamed cheques by Mahatir.
My father and my uncle were the victims subjected in this Death Railway.
The politicians always take the Indians for granted! b’cos we do not hve the bargaining power,and no one wld want to stretch their neck in support.
How cld we fight as a monority.
Similarly it happened to the Indian labor fund;until today we do not know what really happened.
GOD shall certainly curse all of them and their families for this great swindle.
Someday, Mahatir wld hve to answer very dearly.
What does Mahathir have to say about this?
It appears he is silent on the matter …
RM $270 Billion? or RM $207 Billion?,either way all that money is now inside the Malay Elites pockets including the Datuk’s,their cronies and only God knows who else!!.Berapa banyak kau orang mau makan?.Tak kenyang-kenyang ke apa?.Habis,bangsa melayu makan apa?.Pasir?.Orang melayu banyak dah meramuk tau!!.Jangan sampai orang Melayu bangun terus revolt!!.Nanti kau orang terperanjat monyet!!.
Where my uncle money
Biman and varman
Pls open the case and pay the compensation to all the members of victims those who helped the building of death railway track.
Now madey wl only say “saya tak tau…ini mesti najib yg buat” hahaha
No TM will blame ini semua salah Dap
It’s no more relevant to the authority who was in power at the time of transaction as it’s like:-
POURING WATER ONTO SAND AND IT’LL VANISHED THERE AND THAN.
Who will come forward ???
Must be DAP
The highest institution in the country as we all know is very well all for the well-being of the Rakyat. I believe, just like most of the citizens, this esteemed institution too will raise the issue.
I am in a nightmare on this issue.
Mahathir was the PM at that time and ask him where the money has gone. Charge him for corruption and robbery. Anwar Ibrahim should know about this as he was the Finance Minister. Ask Daim Zainuddin as well. These fellas were all part of the syndicate to embazzle the rakyats money.
Blood money of those who sacrificed their lives for the convenience of those enjoying the fruit of misery of those fateful lot
Where my uncle money
Biman and varman
My dad K Govidasamy from Klang, Selangor too suffered.
He lost his family and witnessed the suicide tragedy of his 17yrs brother in law who was not able to bear the pain of his untreated wound in his legs in the Siamese Death Railway.
My uncle died while on the death railway project, cause of death was malaria. I was in primary school i remeber my mum in tears after recieving a telegram of his death.
My father was one of those who worked in the death railway. He was attached with Malayan Railways at that time. He only returned after year or so. In fact he received a medal. I am shocked to hear about this. It is only proper that the families should be considered for some form of compensation for the ordeal that they went through and the torture that my father went through. My father’s name was Eliathamby Rasiah.
Hi just to share my grandfather was involved and never returned ( believed died while working there)
It’s time the family members of the victims meet to persue the matter. They should engage a lawyer to get more information n hold DR MAHATHIR responsible.
My father, a young man then, was just caught, hurled into a truck and taken away to work on the death railway. He managed to return alive. He used to narrate to us his suffering and all the harrowing experiences there. Now he is dead. I hope some justice will be served to all those unfortunate souls or their
families. I hope the present ‘prihatin’ government will look into this matter seriously too.
Where is my father’s portion to his Contribution to the Railway between Malay and Thailand
My father is a victim of Death Railway of Siam Burma during world war 2. He lost his father and brother who were working in the construction of the railways.Left alone at the age of 9 in Thailand. Survived working in the Japanese army kitchen . Came back to Malaysia after war ended in 1945.Lost contact with any family member . He is 86 and very weak. Difficult to recall is memory now. Imagine those leaders who never want to know or help the suffering endured by the victims like my father.
Tha Japanese government is responsible to clarify whether this compensation is paid. I as a son of a victim of the Death Railway wants to know the truth. I don’t trust any political leaders in this country. Hope the Japanese come out and tell the truth in the name of the lost souls of Death Railway in Thailand and Burma.
My uncle’s Krishna & Kanna both taken by force to work on the Siam to Burma railway , that the last of them my mother use to cry silently remembering them
My uncle, Varathan (15 years old), my father’s (Munusamy) younger brother was taken away by the Japanese army forcefully to work on the Siamese death railway project. He didn’t come back thereafter.
Wah lah eh, all sorts of public money are taken as personal funds???
Theives …. gone in the way of Cain …. a heavy price to pay in the end …
It is said that 1 Indian life was lost to 1 unit of railway sleeper! This was said by a very old uncle to me in 1962. He too succumed to some unknown disease and lost his eyesight and died in 1965.
My grandfather was a victim of this death railway.
My father also was worked with the death railway. He was from Sungei Way Estate. He suffered a lot especially from diarrhoea malaria and lack of food. Some how he survived and came back home in 1946. Later years in the 1960 s he told us of his suffering in Siam. He passed away in 1985.ln our heart he was a hero.
My father also was worked with the death railway. He was from Sungei Way Estate. He suffered a lot especially from diarrhoea malaria and lack of food. Some how he survived and came back home in 1946. Later years in the 1960 s he told us of his suffering in Siam. He passed away in 1985.ln our heart he was a hero.
My uncle Ramasamy was also one of the victim forcefully taken by the Japanese. He managed to escape a year later. He had already passed away if not mistaken in 1973
My father in law Sinnakalai s/o Velliayaniakar. I/C 1311246 was also one of the victim forcefully taken for death railway project by the Japanese. He had already passed away 11th of August 1980.
The Japanese government should have the list of names and paid the money to the next of kin directly rather then to the Malaysian Government.
My grandfather Mr. kaniappan never came back from Burma. He died while in the hands of the Japanese laying the “Death Railway”
My grandfather, Mr. Arumugam was forcefully taken by the Japanese soldiers when he was in his 30’s to work in the death railway project. He never cameback. My father A. Velayuthan was just 6 years old then.
No money can compensate the trauma, sufferings and poverty faced by my grandmother and her children.
I wonder whether god exist. I hope he can punish those culprits as well as those who had further suppressed the Malaysian Indian community.
Thousands of Indians, Chinese and Malays worked their butt out. Many died of various diseases. Why should the Malaysian crooks cheat the public. Sad state of affairs. Both my parents, their families, their in-laws and their relatives were cheated.Who is the main thief here. When are the so called saviours come on board and plead their guilt. Karma will take care of those crooks. They must be shot.
Malays are pious thieves. It is their earthly right, as your superiors, to rob you …. it is traditional hypocrisy … tsk tsk tsk
Good havens who was the Finance Minister?
He should know.
YM
My Uncle, Lewis Fenelon was taken away when he was 18 from Batu Arang.
My father n my 3 uncles, also worked in the death railway, all escaped n returned with malaria and direriea, I was told by my mother.
Justice must be done & seen done.