Nyorai kupfuurira kweiyi ndima - kurwisa kweJapan musi wa 8 December 1941, zuva riri kumadokero kwomutsetse wenguva yenyika yose apo Pearl Harbor yakarwiswa bhomba mangwanani a 7 December nguva yomunzvimbomo kumabvazuva kwomutsetse wenguva, kwakagumisa nokukurumidza rugare muPacific. Kurwiswa kwacho kwakanga kwakapararira uye kwaiitika panguva imwe chete. Kurwiswa kweKota Bharu
pakurwiswa kweMalay peninsula kwakanga kwaitika pamberi peiyo paPearl Harbor uye, yakaderedzwa kusvika kunguva yakajairika yeAustralia, zvose zvakaitika pakati pa3:30 na10:00 hwo musi wa8 Zvita uye zvose kunze kwokurwiswa kweMalaya kwaiva kurwiswa kwemhepo. PaKota Bharu maJapan akanga achiburitsa mauto kuti atange hondo yokugara muSoutheast Asia neDutch East Indies. Musi wa 8 Zvita 1941 hurumende yeNetherlands yakanga iri muutapwa yakazivisa hondo kuJapan neGavhuna Mukuru muEast Indies achizivisa kugamuchira dambudziko rekuramba kuwedzera kweJapan. Ngarava dzeKPM dzakabva dzabatanidzwa mukuedza kudzivirira asi pasinei nekuedza kweAllied uye kuumbwa kwemutungamiri chaiye kuti adzivirire Malay Barrier kuparara kwakauya nekukurumidza.