The Civilian War Memorial Monument in Singapore. [Photo by Zhao Xu/For China Daily]

The interpreter, whose job gave him comprehensive knowledge of the history of Singapore, also recounts a story about the Battle of Singapore, which took place between January 31 and February 15, 1942.

"As Singapore is an island, the British, who governed the entire Malay Peninsula including Singapore at the time, assumed that the Japanese attack would be from the sea at the south of the island, and was confident that the Royal Navy would have no problem in dealing with it.

"However, the Japanese, who started with massive bombing from the air, then launched a surprise attack by land, using bicycles from the Malayan side on the north of island.

"They reached the Causeway bordering Singapore and the southern Malayan state of Johore where there were giant water pipes through which fresh water was supplied to Singapore which, at that time, was almost entirely dependent on this water for survival.

"What the Japanese did was basically stand on top of the pipes and shout: Surrender or we'll have all the water pipes blown up!"

The result was a surrender without a fight.

Although local civilian forces did put up some resistance, the fighting was effectively over by February 15, 1942.

And, a dark chapter in the contemporary history of Singapore began.

At the completion of the Civilian War Memorial in 1976, 600 jars were placed inside its base, each filled with the ashes of a victim.

"The sufferings are not to be forgotten," says Lee.