How was the parang used in their defense of malaya?

Answer 1

The parang is a traditional farming tool in Malaya, serving as a chopper as well as a blade. In the olden days, farmers only need to bring along the parang as the sole tool/weapon when they enter the dense tropical jungle of Malaya. They did not even need an axe with the parang around.

It is not surprising if the British soldiers and the local carried parang to clear paths in dense jungles of Malaya. The parang have been used in battles in the past as it is the only weapon the natives had. So it is not inconceivable for the weaponless Malayan natives to use it against the Japanese during the defense of Malaya.