Malaya - a doomed land?

[Marcinos1985]

Greetings fellow commanders,
I have a question concerning Malaya, esp. Singapore. It seems this area is both prone to inavasion and hard to defend at the same time, for example there is no feasible place for HQ. Determined Axis player will take it (and proabably should) and gain additional ports for fleet and potentialy a nice base for his bombers. Please tell, do you try to defend it at all costs (maybe sending RPA/Indian soldiers) or do you let those 3 Malayan corps go down in flames? Perhaps there is a feasible way to throw something against JAP marines.
My second question is - what to do when Singapore falls? As mentioned, JAP gets a very nice base to set another attack, for example amphibious against India. Sending RN to Indian Ocean is an idea, but JAP's fleet is quite strong and their cariers may cream you easily. Decisions, decisions...

[amandkm]

There's a nice Island in the Bay of Bengal (Andamans, I presume?) That you can base a bomber and a sub or two from to interdict a Japanese move on India. It is nigh impossible to hold Singapore, I agree, but slowing the Japanese is often not a bad thing, nor is forcing them to commit heavy forces to the campaign.

[Helsingor]

IMO, Malaya is only worth additional commitment of assets beyond the Malayan units themselves if you have somehow managed to throw the Japanese off their timetable and they are unable to launch an attack on it at the same time as they attack the Philippines and the Dutch East Indies. It's just too hard to defend all that coast.

That said, I do always say yes to the Malaya DE in early 1940. You get most of your 200 MPPs back in revenue from Malaya by late 41 and you can use two of the Malayan corps to help liberate Abyssinia. You might even get them back to Malaya at full strength, possibly with experience and upgrades, in time to be a bit more effective vs. the Japanese assault in late 41.

[Marcinos1985]

Thank you for your answers. To elaborate more, what is your tactics after Singapore falls? Some 'no step back' in Burma? Terrain there is not so good for offensive and you may reinforce this region with Indians, but still after Singapore falls, Japs have a lot of spare forces to toy with.
What I am afraid more of is that after taking Singapore ports, Japs have a nice springboard to India. If they take their fleet to the Indian ocean, UK will probably not be ready to intercept amphibious transport. Does it really mean you have to sit with Indians at home and just wait for some US counteroffensive?

[Helsingor]

I have played several MP games since starting WaW MP around the winter holidays, and in only one case have managed to mount a lasting defense of Burma. The lack of a rail connection to India, the lack of any port except Rangoon itself, the proximity plenty of places for the Japanese to base aircraft, and the poor supply for hexes in Burma, all make it a poor place to make a stand. A place to delay the Japanese for a few turns, perhaps, but not to stop them cold, IMO.