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The Struggle for nationalism By the 20th century, many changes had resulted from people’s fight for independence, from their struggle for nationalism (except during the period of Japanese occupation and the emergency). Organization and the mass media were used in the struggle. External influence as well as the education received by the citizens were the primary factors that created a conscious need among the people to fight for independence using the mind and words rather than arms and force. The emergence of Malay intellectuals encouraged a struggle using diplomacy that was supported by a heightened spirit of nationalism. It was apparent at that time that there had emerged an awareness that independence could be achieved not only through uprisings and fighting, but also through negotiations and stirring the people’s spirit of nationalism.
Although in some colonized countries the struggle for independence had the characteristic of armed struggle, as in Indonesia and the Philippines, it was not so obvious in Malaysia. The people in the country preferred to use associations and the mass media as channels to express their dissatisfaction to their colonial masters. This spirit grew stronger when Japanese overran the country and proclaimed their slogan of ‘Asia for Asians”. At the same time, a few members of the young Malays Union ( Kesatuan Melayu Muda- KMM ) , as an organization of young radicals, who had been imprisoned by the British and released. KMM was revived under the leadership of Ibrahim Yaacob. The struggle through the spirit of nationalism continued even after Japan was defeated in the Second World War and the British had returned to Malaya .
