---
title: 'Malaya Today, Picture Set D, no. 5: A newly joined soldier at Taiping practising with the bayonet (Tamil photo poster distributed in Malaya)'
url: https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/malaya-today-set-d-5-bayonet-practice-tamil-1953/
description: A photograph of a shirtless recruit in a bush hat lunging with a bayonetted rifle at a hanging sack on a wooden frame while a uniformed instructor looks
section: Collection
---

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3. Malaya Today, Picture Set D, no. 5: A newly joined soldier at Taiping

[![Malaya Today, Picture Set D, no. 5: A newly joined soldier at Taiping practising with the bayonet, 1953 US poster](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/images/malaya-today-set-d-5-bayonet-practice-tamil-1953.jpg)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/images/malaya-today-set-d-5-bayonet-practice-tamil-1953.jpg)

# Malaya Today, Picture Set D, no. 5: A newly joined soldier at Taiping practising with the bayonet (Tamil photo poster distributed in Malaya)

A photograph of a shirtless recruit in a bush hat lunging with a bayonetted rifle at a hanging sack on a wooden frame while a uniformed instructor looks on. The Tamil caption says a newly joined soldier in Taiping is practising bayonet work. The tell is plain-folks: an ordinary recruit at routine drill presents army life as everyday and approachable.

## Propaganda techniques used in this poster

[Plain folks](https://propagandaarchive.org/techniques/plain-folks/)

## Text on the object

Original (Tamil) · read from the image, not independently checked

```
இன்றைய மலாயா  படத்தொகுதி ஈ  பெடரேஷன் இராணுவப் படை

தைப்பிங்கில் புதிதாய்ச் சேர்ந்த சிப்பாய் ஒருவர் சனியலை குத்திப் பழகுகிறார்.

[5]
```

English translation (machine translation by Claude, not verified by a fluent reader)

```
Today's Malaya  Picture Set [D]  Federation Army

A newly joined soldier in Taiping practises thrusting with the bayonet.

[5]
```

Header reads 'Today's Malaya, Picture Set [D], Federation Army'. The word rendered 'bayonet' in the translation is printed 'சனியலை' and was read from the image; its sense is taken from the context of the photograph.

[← Malaya Today, Picture Set D, no. 5: Recruits at Taiping receiving bayonet training (Chinese photo poster distributed in Malaya)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/malaya-today-set-d-5-bayonet-practice-taiping-chinese-1953/) [Malaya Today, Picture Set D, no. 6: Military training includes athletics: recruits practising the high jump (Chinese photo poster distributed in Malaya) →](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/malaya-today-set-d-6-army-athletics-high-jump-chinese-1953/)

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