{
  "id": 4975171,
  "title": "WWII taught us that we can only depend on each other, says historian",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/01/wwii-taught-us-that-we-can-only-depend-on-each-other-says-historian-4975171",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-01T23:30:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today-freemalays",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/leisure/2026/09/02/wwii-taught-us-that-we-can-only-depend-on-each-other-says-historian"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Historian Clement Liang asserts that the only lesson Malaysians can take from the devastation wrought by WWII bombings on Penang is that people must rely on each other in times of crisis. The US Army Air Corps conducted air raids on the city in late 1944 to weaken Japanese forces occupying George Town. The indiscriminate bombings obliterated numerous iconic structures, such as the St Xavier school, which served as the Imperial Japanese Navy's administrative office, and Fort Cornwallis, which had been converted into a munitions storage facility and military logistics hub. Even the Quadrangle, a complex of colonial government buildings, was left largely intact, with only a small section remaining today. The bombing also tilted the Queen Victoria Memorial Clock Tower.\n\nLiang argues that the Penang blitz taught the nation that it cannot trust foreign powers to safeguard its interests, thereby necessitating self-reliance. He laments the low morale in Penang following Britain's abandonment of the island in 1941, followed by the Japanese and American bombings. Liang emphasizes that the forefathers suffered greatly under colonial rule, only to be left to fend for themselves during times of distress. He condemns the current surge of divisive racial rhetoric, stating that during wartime, none will be spared from destruction, regardless of race. Liang concludes that in order to survive, Malaysians must learn to live together, support the country, and maintain peace. Without peace, the nation cannot endure.",
  "summary": "Clement Liang, president of the Penang Heritage Trust, says the bombing of Penang in the Second World War showed that Malaysians should look to each other and not to foreign powers.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}