Lt. Adnan Saidi

This is a Malay name; the name "Saidi" is a patronymic, not a family name, and the person should be referred to by the given name, "Adnan".

Adnan bin Saidi
1915 – 14 February 1942
Place of birth	Kajang, Selangor
Place of death	Pasir Panjang, Singapore
Allegiance	Royal Malay Regiment
Years of service	1933 - 1942
Rank	2nd Lieutenant
Unit	7th Platoon, C Company, 1st Malay Brigade
Battles/wars	Battle of Pasir Panjang
Awards	Best recruit in the Malay Regiment (3 British medals)

Adnan bin Saidi, (1915 - 14 February 1942), was a Malayan soldier of the 1st Infantry Brigade which fought the Japanese in the Battle of Singapore. He is regarded by Malaysians and Singaporeans today as a hero for his actions on Bukit Chandu.

Personal life

Adnan was born at Sungai Ramal near Kajang, Selangor and was a Muslim 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. 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 and Johor respectively.

“

My father did not talk a lot. He was a firm man and believed in discipline. He was always serious and fierce… yet had a good heart. There seemed to be a ‘light’ illuminating his face. - Mokhtar, Adnan's son

”

^{[citation needed]}

Battle of Pasir Panjang

Adnan led a 42-strong platoon from the Malay Regiment in the defense of Singapore against the invading Japanese. The soldiers fought at the Battle of Pasir Panjang, at Pasir Panjang 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. After the battle was lost, they wounded Adnan.Then he was taken prisoner by Japanese soldiers, who tied him to a cherry tree and bayoneted him to death.

Because of his actions Adnan is currently considered by Malaysians and Singaporeans today as a hero. 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 attempted but failed to find and murder Adnan's family in revenge.^{[citation needed]}

Kent Ridge 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 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 one 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. He was also portrayed by an unknown Malay actor in the TV series A War Diary. Aaron Aziz is the latest actor to have portrayed him in Life Story, which also covers his personal life.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

References

1. ^ Lieutenant Adnan bin Saidi and The Malay Regiment
2. ^ A bit of history: 13 February 1942; The Battle of Pasir Panjang
3. ^ History Blog
4. ^ The Battle at Pasir Panjang (Singapore)
5. ^ Life Story, Channel 5 2006-09-12. Retrieved on 2007-09-18.