The Japanese forces travelled swiftly across Malaya and within days had come to the doorsteps of Singapore . The British had made a frantic attempt by blowing up the causeway to prevent the Japanese from entering Singapore.This did not stop the Japanese troops.Despite some resistance like the battle of Bukit Timah Hill on 11 February 1942 and the war at Pasir Panjang on 13 February 1942,Percival had to surrender as the British had to face numerous problems launching counter-attacks .Finally,on 15 February 1942,Percival signed the surrender agreement at the Ford Motor Factory now known as 'Memories at Old Ford'.

There were many reasons why British failed to stop the Japanese.Before the war, the Japanese set up their intelligence services in Malaya and Singapore to provide information on British's defence and readiness.The Japanese were also militarily very strong as they had a large modern airforce and naval fleet to enable them to launch air and sea attacks.They were also trained in jungle warfare and used bicycles to move swiftly on the Malaya terrain.However, the British underestimated the Japanese and did not expect them to attack from the North.Furthermore,the priority for the British was the war in Europe.The people of Singapore did not believe Singapore would fall and were led to believe that the possibility of a Japanese attack was remote.