Adnan Saidi

In thisMalay name,there is nosurname or family name.The nameSaidiis apatronymic,and the person should be referred to by theirgiven name,Adnan.

Adnan Saidi
Saidi in 1937 as acolour sergeant
Born	1915 Sungai Ramal,Kajang,Selangor,Federated Malay States,British Malaya
Died	14 February 1942(1942-02-14)(aged 26–27) Pasir Panjang,Singapore,Straits Settlements
Buried	Kranji War Memorial,Singapore
Allegiance	Royal Malay Regiment
Years of service	1933–1942
Rank	Lieutenant
Service number	ZV 90
Unit	7th Platoon, C Company, 1st Battalion,1st Malay Brigade
Battles/wars	World War II Battle of Kampar Battle of Pasir Panjang†
Awards	1939-1945 Star Defence Medal War Medal 1939-1945
Spouse(s)	Sophia binte Pakir ​ (m.1938)​
Children	3

Adnan bin Saidi(Jawi:عدنان بن سيدي‎; 1915 – 14 February 1942) was a Malayanmilitary officerof the1st Infantry Brigadeunder theMalaya CommandinBritish-ruled Malaya.In 1942, Adnan, then alieutenant,led his platoon to put up fierce resistance against the Japanese during theBattle of Pasir PanjanginSingapore,and was ultimately killed in action. He is celebrated as a national hero in present-day Malaysia and Singapore.

Family background and early life

Adnan was born in aMinangkabaufamily in Sungai Ramal (present-dayBandar Baru Bangi), nearKajang,Selangor,Malaya.He was the eldest of six children in his family and attended Pekan Sungei Ramal School. After graduating, he worked as a trainee teacher at his alma mater for over a year.

Career

Adnan enlisted in theMalay Regimentin 1933 and was selected as the regiment's best recruit for his outstanding performance. He was promoted tosergeantin 1936. A year later, he marched in a contingent representing theFederated Malay Statesat the coronation parade ofGeorge VIand earned a coronation medal.

In late 1941, Adnan was posted to Singapore to attend an officer conversion course and lived with his family in a house atPasir Panjangreserved for the Malay Regiment's officers. After completing his training, he was commissioned as alieutenantand appointed as company officer of the 7th Platoon in C Company of the Malay Regiment's1st Battalion.In December 1941, he sent his family back to their hometown in Kajang, Selangor for their safety.

Battle of Pasir Panjang

Main article:Battle of Pasir Panjang

In February 1942, Adnan led his 42-men platoon of the1st Malaya Infantry Brigadeto defend Singapore from attacks by the56th Infantry Regimentof theImperial Japanese Army.They fought atPasir Panjang RidgearoundBukit Chandubetween 12 and 14 February.Despite being heavily outnumbered, Adnan refused to surrender and urged his men to fight to the end. They held off the Japanese for two days amid heavy shelling from Japanese artillery and tanks, as well as chronic shortages of food, medical supplies and ammunition. On the last day of the battle, Adnan and his men were left with only a fewgrenadesand had to fight the Japanese with theirbayonetsin brutalhand-to-hand combat.Adnan was shot but continued fighting.

During the battle, Adnan identified Japanese soldiers who were attempting to infiltrate the Malay Regiment's base in disguise as "Punjabi soldiers",who were marching four abreast (Japanese style) instead of three (British style).

Capture and death

Although it is widely agreed that Adnan was killed during the Battle of Pasir Panjang on 14 February 1942,the exact details surrounding his death differed between accounts from both sides of the war. The actual circumstances of his death were never officially recorded.

TheImperial Japanese Army's official account indicated that Adnan was executed and then hung upside down from a cherry tree after two days of stubborn resistance and refusal to surrender. Other accounts suggest that he might have been tied to the tree and repeatedlybayonetedto death.British accounts confirmed that his corpse was found hung upside down after the surrender and this has been repeated in a number of authoritative texts on theMalayan Campaign.His remains are buried at theKranji War Memorial.

Personal life

Adnan's younger brothers, Ahmad and Amarullah, also served in the armed forces. Ahmad was killed in action after his ship, HMSPelandok,was sunk in January 1942 in a Japanese air raid en route toAustralia.

Adnan married Sophia Pakir, an Islamic religious teacher, in 1938. They had a daughter who died soon after birth, and two sons: Mokhtar, who lives inSeremban,and Zainudin, who lives inJohor.Mokhtar recalled that his father "did not talk a lot", was "a strict man and believed in discipline", and was "always serious and fierce... yet had a good heart. There seemed to be a 'light' illuminating his face."Sophia died in 1949.

Legacy

Adnan is considered a war hero in Singapore due to his courageous and valiant actions at theBattle of Pasir Panjang.The promotion of Adnan as a national hero was championed by the Singaporean Malay-language newspaperBerita Harianin 1995. In 1999, Singapore Prime MinisterGoh Chok Tonghonoured Adnan as a national hero and his story begun appearing in history school books.

Adnan is also well recognised in Malaysia as a national hero and his story is made into a novel used in secondary schools as part of the Malay-language curriculum.

War memorial

A war memorial plaque honouring Adnan and the Malay Brigade was commissioned by Singapore Prime MinisterLee Kuan Yewin 1995 at Vigilante Drive,Kent Ridge Park,Singapore.

A colonial-erabungalowat Bukit Chandu was converted intoReflections at Bukit Chandu,an interpretative centre about the Battle of Pasir Panjang.

TheArt in Transitprogramme ofPasir Panjang MRT station,titledLieutenant Adnan,byHo Tzu Nyen,features mock posters all around the station and lift shaft for a fictional movie about Adnan, who is portrayed by Singaporean actorAaron Aziz.

Portrayal in film

Adnan was portrayed by Malaysian actorHairie Othmanin the 2000 filmLeftenan Adnan.

He was also portrayed by an unknown Malay actor in the 2001 Singaporean television seriesA War Diary.

Aaron Azizalso portrayed Adnan in an episode of the 2004 historical seriesLife StoryfromMediacorp Channel 5,which also covers his personal life.

In May 2016, a Singaporean actorFadhlur Rahmanalso played as Adnan inHeroes: Battle of Bukit Chanduaired byMediacorp Channel 5,Channel 8,Suria,VasanthamandChannel NewsAsia.In the episodes, there were interviews with Adnan's granddaughter Wan Sofia Zainuddin.

Singapore's Bicentennial

On 5 June 2019, onHari Raya Aidilfitri,Singapore PresidentHalimah Yacoblaunched commemorative notes featuring Adnan along with 7 other historical Singaporean figures in a $20 commemorative notes marking Singapore'sbicentennialcelebrations, 1819–2019 edition.

External links

• Adnan Saidi