Adnan Bin Saidi
Encyclopedia
Adnan bin Saidi, was a Malayan
British Malaya
British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...

 soldier of the 1st Infantry Brigade which fought the Japanese in the Battle of Singapore
Battle of Singapore
The Battle of Singapore was fought in the South-East Asian theatre of the Second World War when the Empire of Japan invaded the Allied stronghold of Singapore. Singapore was the major British military base in Southeast Asia and nicknamed the "Gibraltar of the East"...

. He is regarded by Malaysians and Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...

ans today as a hero
Hero
A hero , in Greek mythology and folklore, was originally a demigod, their cult being one of the most distinctive features of ancient Greek religion...

 for his actions on Bukit Chandu
Bukit Chandu
Bukit Chandu is an area in Singapore where the Battle of Bukit Chandu took placed on 14 February 1942 during Battle of Singapore in World War II.-Notable attractions:*Reflections exhibition gallery*Kent Ridge Park...

.

Personal life

Adnan was born at Sungai Ramal near Kajang
Kajang
Kajang, is a town in the eastern part of Selangor, Malaysia. Kajang is the district capital of Hulu Langat. It is located from of Malaysia's capital, Kuala Lumpur.The current locational gravity of growth in Kajang would be Sungai Chua...

, Selangor
Selangor
Selangor also known by its Arabic honorific, Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity") is one of the 13 states of Malaysia. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the east, Negeri Sembilan to the south and the Strait of Malacca to the west...

 and was a Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...

 of Minangkabau descent. He was the eldest child in his whole family. His younger siblings, Ahmad Saidi and Amarullah Saidi, were also soldiers. Ahmad was killed in action after his ship, HMS Pelanduk, was sunk by the Japanese en route to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

. Amarullah survived the war and now resides in Kajang, Selangor.

Adnan was married to his wife Sophia Pakir, an Islamic religious teacher. She died in 1949. They had two sons and a daughter, who died soon after birth. Their sons, Mokhtar and Zainudin Adnan now live in the state's of Seremban
Seremban
Seremban is the capital of the Malaysian state of Negeri Sembilan, located within the district of Seremban, one of the seven districts of Negeri Sembilan. The town's administration is run by the Seremban Municipal Council or Majlis Perbandaran Seremban...

 and Johor
Johor
Johor is a Malaysian state, located in the southern portion of Peninsular Malaysia. It is one of the most developed states in Malaysia. The state capital city and royal city of Johor is Johor Bahru, formerly known as Tanjung Puteri...

 respectively.

Battle of Pasir Panjang

Adnan led a 42-strong platoon
Platoon
A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four sections or squads and containing 16 to 50 soldiers. Platoons are organized into a company, which typically consists of three, four or five platoons. A platoon is typically the smallest military unit led by a commissioned officer—the...

 from the Malay Regiment
Royal Malay Regiment
The Royal Malay Regiment is the premier unit of the Malaysian Army's two infantry regiments. At its largest, the Malay Regiment comprised 27 battalions. At present, two battalions are parachute trained and form part of the Malaysian Army Rapid Deployment Force...

 in the defense of Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...

 against the invading Japanese. The soldiers fought at the Battle of Pasir Panjang
Battle of Pasir Panjang
The Battle of Pasir Panjang, which took place between 13 and 14 February 1942, was part of the final stage of the Empire of Japan's invasion of Singapore during World War II...

, at Pasir Panjang
Pasir Panjang
Pasir Panjang is an area in the south-western part of Singapore. It is located at the southern part of the Queenstown Planning Area, an urban planning zone under the Urban Redevelopment Authority. Kent Ridge is a topographical feature which runs through Pasir Panjang.-Etymology:The name Pasir...

 Ridge in the Bukit Chandu (Opium Hill) area on 12–14 February 1942. Although heavily outnumbered, Adnan refused to surrender and urged his men to fight until the end. They held off the Japanese for two days amid heavy enemy shelling and shortages of food and ammunition. Adnan was shot but carried on fighting until he succumbed to his injury. After the battle was lost, the Japanese soldiers tied his body to a cherry
Cherry
The cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus Prunus, and is a fleshy stone fruit. The cherry fruits of commerce are usually obtained from a limited number of species, including especially cultivars of the wild cherry, Prunus avium....

 tree and bayonet
Bayonet
A bayonet is a knife, dagger, sword, or spike-shaped weapon designed to fit in, on, over or underneath the muzzle of a rifle, musket or similar weapon, effectively turning the gun into a spear...

ed it.

Because of his actions Adnan is currently considered by Malaysians and Singaporeans today as a hero
Hero
A hero , in Greek mythology and folklore, was originally a demigod, their cult being one of the most distinctive features of ancient Greek religion...

. In their textbooks, he is also credited as the soldier who caught the disguised "Indian troops" marching error in four abreast (Japanese marching style) instead of a line of three (British style of marching).

When Singapore surrendered, the Japanese Kempeitai
Kempeitai
The was the military police arm of the Imperial Japanese Army from 1881 to 1945. It was not an English-style military police, but a French-style gendarmerie...

 attempted but failed to find and murder Adnan's family in revenge.

Kent Ridge Park
Kent Ridge Park
Kent Ridge Park is a 47-hectare public park in western Singapore, between the National University of Singapore and the Singapore Science Park...

, close to the site of the battle, now bears a plaque in commemoration of Lt Adnan Bin Saidi. A museum at Bukit Chandu stands in memory of the bravery of Malay Regiment soldiers. This regiment would later become the Royal Malay Regiment
Royal Malay Regiment
The Royal Malay Regiment is the premier unit of the Malaysian Army's two infantry regiments. At its largest, the Malay Regiment comprised 27 battalions. At present, two battalions are parachute trained and form part of the Malaysian Army Rapid Deployment Force...

 of the Royal Malaysian Army.

The Malaysian version of the Turkish-designed ACV-300 infantry fighting vehicle currently in service with the Malaysian Army was given the name "Adnan" in honour of Lt. Adnan.

In Sungai Ramal, Kajang there is a primary school Sekolah Kebangsaan Leftenan Adnan was named after him.

Portrayal in film

Adnan was portrayed by actor Hairie Othman in the 2000 film Leftenan Adnan
Leftenan Adnan
Leftenan Adnan is a 2000 Malaysian film directed by Aziz M. Osman and produced by the Malaysian Army and Grand Brilliance Sdn Bhd.-Plot:The movie is about one Adnan bin Saidi, a young Malay from Sungai Ramal in Kajang, Selangor who had joined the Malay Regiment of the British Colonial Forces just...

. He was also portrayed by an unknown Malay actor in the TV series A War Diary
A War Diary
A War Diary was a Singapore English television series produced by Dream Forest Productions in 2001. It was aired on MediaCorp TV Channel 5. A total of 20 episodes were released...

. Aaron Aziz is the latest actor to have portrayed him in Life Story, which also covers his personal life.

External links

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