What if Singapore never fell to the Japanese?

The Pacific campaign of World War II marked the death of the British Empire as it not only lost naval supremacy to the Japanese after the loss of the Repulse and the Prince of Wales, but primarily due to the arrogance of the British commanders, the Japanese were able to take Singapore, the keystone of British imperial interwar defense planning for South-East Asia as well as the South-West Pacific and the major British military base in the Pacific.

The Empire was further disgraced by the largest surrender of British led military personnel in history-80,000 British and Commonwealth troops became prisoners of war.

All of that being said, what if Singapore never fell to the Japanese?
 
One assumes here enough of Maylasia & Sumatra must remain in Allied hands for Singapore to survive. Perhaps assume a better led defense of northern Maylasia defeats Yamashitas offensive & leaves his army a beached and spent whale in a north Maylasia enclave. A good look at a map, and another at the Japanese forces and schedule for their subsequent actions in the spring of 1942 is in order.
 
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