Two Allied fleets set Self_motion sail from Rangoon , with the Royal Navy 's Task Force 11 headed for Penang under Operation Jurist , while the larger British and French fleet sailing on to Singapore under Operation Tiderace. < ref name= '' JAPANESE SIGN THE SURRENDER OF PENANG ABOARD HMS NELSON ( 3/9/1945 ) '' > < /ref > The earlier liberation of Penang was intended to test Testing Japanese intentions as a prelude to the eventual recapture of Singapore and the rest of Malaya .