Penerbitan akhbar zaman pendudukan Jepun di Tanah Melayu dan Indonesia: Malai Sinpo dan Asia Raya, 1942-1945

[Newspaper publication during Japanese occupation in Malaya and Indonesia: Malai Sinpo and Asia Raya, 1942-1945]

Abstract

Akhbar merupakan salah satu medium komunikasi yang penting dalam menyampaikan isu dan berita semasa dalam sesebuah negara dan masyarakat. Sewaktu zaman pendudukan Jepun di Tanah Melayu dan Indonesia, akhbar turut menjadi sebuah alat propaganda Jepun dalam usaha mencapai misi ketenteraan Jepun menakluk Asia. Kajian ini membincangkan tentang latar belakang penerbitan dan perbandingan isi kandungan dua akhbar perang terpilih yang diterbitkan semasa tempoh perang dunia kedua berlaku di Tanah Melayu (Akhbar Malai Sinpo) dan Indonesia (Akhbar Asia Raya) pada tahun 1942 hingga 1945. Fokus penelitian terhadap pecahan tema isu politik, ekonomi dan sosial dalam kedua-dua akhbar dilakukan secara umum untuk melihat peristiwa sejarah yang berlaku pada tempoh ini berdasarkan sudut pandang penulisan akhbar. Isi kandungan akhbar Asia Raya mempunyai empat bahagian utama iaitu bahagian politik dan umum, bahagian sosial dan pemuda, bahagian kebudayaan dan bahagian ekonomi dalam dan luar negara manakala akhbar Malai Sinpo merangkumi tema ekonomi, politik luar dan dalam negara dan sosial. Jabatan Propaganda (Sendenbu) yang dibentuk oleh pemerintah ketenteraan Jepun di kedua-dua negara ini turut mengawal ketat setiap isi kandungan berita dan harus mendapat keizinan pemerintah sebelum diterbitkan. Metodologi penulisan kajian menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif dengan kaedah kajian perpustakaan dalam mengenal pasti sumber pertama dan kedua. Kajian perpustakaan dilakukan secara intensif dalam mendapatkan koleksi lengkap akhbar ini yang berbentuk mikrofilem dan digital. Hasil kajian ini dapat menambah maklumat sedia ada berkenaan historiografi pemerintahan Jepun di Tanah Melayu dan Indonesia.

Newspapers are one of the important communication media in conveying current issues and news within a country and society. During the Japanese occupation of Malaya and Indonesia, newspapers also became a tool of Japanese propaganda to achieve their military mission of conquering Asia. This study discusses the background of the publication and comparison of contents based on two selected wartime newspapers published during the Second World War in Malaya (Malai Sinpo Newspaper) and Indonesia (Asia Raya Newspaper) from 1942 to 1945. The focus of the study on contents in political, economic, and social issue themes in both newspapers was analysed generally to see the historical events that occurred during this period based on the perspective of newspaper writing. The content of the Asia Raya newspaper has four main sections: the political and general section, the social and youth section, the cultural section, and the domestic and international economic section, while the Malai Shinpo newspaper covers themes of the economy, domestic and foreign politics, and social issues. The Propaganda Department (Sendenbu) established by the Japanese military government in both countries also strictly controlled every news content and required government approval before any publication. Research methodology uses a qualitative approach with a library research method to identify primary and secondary sources. The library research was conducted intensively to obtain a complete collection of these newspapers in microfilm and digital formats. The results of this study can provide more information regarding the historiography of Japanese rule in Malaya and Indonesia.