19. Food Shortages

Food shortages were a salient feature of life during the Japanese Occupation. As shortages caused food prices to soar, the local population turned to land cultivation for food. Besides growing their own food, those who could afford it, turned to the black market to supplement their needs. Many people perished either from malnutrition or disease. There was high unemployment as well as high inflation. Those who were able to work just worked, not only to earn the money but to get rations. Father Chung Chow recalled that he only received four gantang of rice every month which had to feed nine persons in the Chan family - his parents, three siblings, his wife, himself, and his granduncle Ying Kau and Ah Choon who were staying in the same house with them.

Usual food during Japanese Occupation

Feeding nine persons with this small ration of rice was a humbling lesson in survival. They mixed cut pieces of long beans to cook with the rice to increase its volume. Thus, they had more to eat and would not feel hungry. Long beans was one of the few types of vegetables available in the market and it was the most palatable. Sometimes, they would use yam or sweet potato to mix with the rice. This became their staple diet for the duration of the war. Even salt and cooking oil were rationed.

Market

Those who have money would buy black market foodstuffs, for example, rice was sold at $5 to $6 a gantang. Father Chung Chow was the sole-breadwinner, and he had to work from 7.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. everyday, seven days a week without any day off.

He received Japanese Invasion Money (JIM) of about $2.00 a day as wages which he would use to buy the essential foodstuffs, and pay the bills such as house rent and utilities, and to pay 'tributary money' to the Japanese authorities. He worked hard and provided enough food and other necessities for everyone in the family to survive the hardships of war.

The men who worked outside were sometimes given rice and porridge to eat. Father Chung Chow recalled that his Japanese boss used to give the workers glutinous rice balls stuffed with sour plums for lunch. The women usually ate the "rubber" noodles. These noodles looked like rubbery plastic and were transparent when cooked. They were very tough, just like rubber. They were also given sweet potatoes and tapioca.

Palm oil was usually used for cooking and it was red in colour and had a funny kind of a smell. Children usually eat porridge. Fresh cow  milk was cooked with sugar to get condensed milk that could be kept longer. Salt and sugar were expensive items. Many learn to survive with substitutes such as making soap from coconut oil. There was no entertainment. Even the possession of a simple radio was punishable with decapitation or beheading. After dinner, it was time to go to bed. Lights off was at 10.00 p.m..

Nippon-go

The Japanese introduced Nippon-go but there was little reason to learn the language beyond how to say the basic salutations and many of the vulgar words. People were also forced to sing the Japanese national anthem "Kimigayo".

Next: 20. Demise of Chan Keng San

18. Work To Survive

Work Pass

The people experienced severe control throughout the Occupation period. Almost every adult was required to carry or keep numerous documents at all times including work pass, ration cards etc. Despite their fear and hatred of the Japanese, many people accepted jobs in the Japanese military units (butai) as this was the only way to survive the hardships of war.

When the Japanese took over the Kamunting Tin Smelting Company from the British, our father Chung Chow was allowed to continue to work there. He was given a work pass by his Japanese boss and this document would save his life several times.

Japanese Soldier

Father Chung recalled that during one early morning while he was cycling to Kamunting to go to work, he did not notice the Japanese soldiers hidden in the shadows by the roadside. They stopped him for not respecting the Japanese soldiers. Bowing to a sentry on duty was considered an expression of deep respect for the Japanese soldier. Civilians had to perform this act of homage on reaching a checkpoint and failing to do so could bring horrible beatings from the soldiers.

Fortunately, father had his work pass from his Japanese boss with him. He produced this to show to the soldiers and quickly apologized for his mistake. Fortunately, he got away with only a stern and vulgar scolding. He could have easily got himself beaten up or even forfeit his life for that incident.

Guide to Shade Lights in Homes, Shops

On another occasion, he went out to visit friends and came home late at about 8.00 p.m. At 10.00 p.m. all the lights in the houses must be switched off. He was careful and walked the back-lanes so as not to attract attention. However, he was noticed by an kempeitai officer. Again, when he was questioned, his work pass protected him from further harm or he would have been a goner.

Next: 19. Food Shortages

17. Terror Under The Japanese Soldiers

Japanese Military Police

The Japanese Military police or Kempeitai was the most feared and hated by the local people. In Taiping, father Chung Chow recalled that one such officer wielded a cane with a protruding nail at the end that would tear flesh with each stroke of the cane. He would patrolled the town and whacked any naughty guys he encountered.

Old Rest House, Station Road

King Edward VII Secondary School

While the Japanese soldiers lived in public places such as schools located all over town, the Kempeitai made their headquarters at the old rest-house (now known as Legend Hotel) along Station Road with their living quarters situated across the road at King Edward the 7th School or popularly known as KE School. These two places were infamously well-known to be haunted by hundreds of innocent souls who were tortured to death by the kempeitai for they exercised complete powers of arrest and interrogation. And most often torture came before any investigation was carried out.

Whipping

Clamping Nails

One of the common mode of torture was the "water" treatment where the suspect had a tubing of running water from a tap forced into his mouth until his stomach became bloated with water. The torturer then stepped all over the suspect's stomach to force out the water. This ordeal was repeated several times until the suspect confessed. The other extreme to the "water" treatment was the "fire" treatment where the torturer would burn the suspect with a red-hot branding iron.

Whipping was another common torture. Sometimes, to induce a confession, suspects' nails were clamped with a wooden vice, or had his nails pulled out with pliers.

Prisoner of War

Prisoners of War

In Taiping, the Japanese soldiers committed various atrocious acts against the British and Australian soldiers and their wives and families. The hapless victims were stripped naked and paraded across the town for all to see. The Japanese soldiers would threatened the public with whipping if they refused to look. Prisoners of war were starved and many had to survive on insects such as cockroaches and rats.

Decapitated Heads

Another cruel act committed by the Japanese soldiers was the open display of decapitated heads placed on long wooden stools in public places such as along Tupai Lane where the only licensed toddy shop was and is still located, and along Kota Road where the old UMBC bank used to be. All these were meant to frighten the people into submission.

General Yamashita, or "Tiger of Malaya"

The Japanese leaders who administered Taiping were cruel and ruthless as they would beat and kick anyone who refused to submit to their authority. General Yamashita or "Tiger of Malaya" was the overall commanding officer for Malaya and Singapore.

Next: 18. Work To Survive

16. Age and Name Change

A young Chung Chow

It was very fortunate too that the register containing all the names of contributors to the Kuomintang, which included the names of our grandfather and father, was destroyed by the local keeper of the register just before the Japanese army took over Taiping. At that time, all Chinese people from Quangdong must contribute part of their monthly earnings to Kuomintang in the war against the Japanese in China. For added security, our grandfather and father had to drop their middle names to hide their identities. Father Chung Chow's full name was Chung Ken Chow. He was 27 years old then.

It was also during the sook ching questioning by the Japanese soldiers that father Chung Chow had to lie that he was 28 years old. Fortunately, there were no identification papers then and any of your elders or neighbours could testified on your behalf. That white lie spared him the horrible fate of  being conscripted into the Japanese army. At that time, young Chinese people were coerced to join the Japanese army and 28 was the cut-off point . Thus, he became older by a year on that day.

Besides the massive screening operations, the Japanese had spies who permeated every walk of life in the community. Father recalled that some of his so-called friends or buddies were spies but they later disappeared, probably kidnapped and killed by the resistance fighters or communists.


Next: 17. Terror Under The Japanese Soldiers

15. Screening and Interrogation

Mass Screening of Chinese people

Mass Screening of Chinese people

Three days after the fall of Singapore on February 7, 1942, the Japanese military authorities ordered the mass screening of the Chinese community in Malaya and Singapore. The Chinese suffered the most under Japanese rule, in part because many had contributed funds to the Kuomintang (KMT, Nationalist Party founded by Dr. Sun Yatsen) in China in the war against Japan, and thousands were executed during the occupation.

The Japanese systematically rounded up all the Chinese male population. This special operation known as sook ching (purification through suffering) involved the screening of Chinese neighbourhoods, followed by the detention or execution of any suspected of working against the Japanese.

A most terrifying feature well remembered by most people was the 'identification parade'. People were made to pass in single file before a row of hooded informers. A nod of the head from any one of these hooded informers signified recognition and the victim was immediately picked up for questioning and was never seen again. Chinese suspects were loaded onto lorries and driven away to killing grounds where they were machine-gunned and bayoneted. Many people disappeared without a trace. In Taiping, some of these killing grounds were in Tupai near the Guangdung Cemetery, and the hilly areas around Klian Pauh.

Our father recalled one such screening session conducted in Taiping. On that particular day, all Chinese males, whether young or old, were gathered together in a field known as the circus ground (presently Taiping Hawkers Centre). They were forced out of their homes early in the morning, bare-bodied, thirsty and hungry, and made to stand under the blazing sun for the whole day. The questioning was conducted by the Japanese soldiers with help from some Taiwanese interpreters. Fortunately for our grandfather and father, they returned home safe that evening after suffering one of the most terrifying ordeal of their lives.

Next: 16. Age and Name Change

14. Japanese Occupation

In their struggle to start a new life in Taiping, the most important and terrifying event was the Japanese Occupation of Malaya from 1942 to 1945. The Chan clan endured and survived three years and eight months of the hardships of war: deprivation, food shortages, fear, and a total loss of freedom.

Japanese Forces

On December 8, 1941, Japanese forces landed at Kota Baru in Kelantan. Within ten weeks, the Japanese had defeated the British and conquered the whole of Malaya and Singapore. The people of Malaya and Singapore came under a period known as the Japanese Occupation, which lasted for a short period from February 1942 to September 1945.

Japanese Fighter Plane

Taiping Market - 1930s

After the Japanese captured Penang on December 15, 1941, they moved southwards through Selama towards Taiping. Father Chung Chow recalled a harrowing incident that happened during this period. He had just received his wages and was in the market to buy some pork. Suddenly, several Japanese planes flew low over the town and dropped bombs. He quickly ran for his life and seek cover under the concrete platform where pieces of pork were laid out for sale.

When the bombing stopped and calm returned, he crawled out from under the platform and saw several dead bodies lying on the road and fire burning all over the place. He hurriedly collected his bicycle, and in his haste to get away, he dropped the pork he had bought. He also knocked somebody down as he pedaled as fast as he could to a hiding place in a farm in Golden Hill Garden which is located at the Old Kamunting Road.

Japanese Soldiers Riding Bicycles

From Selama, the Japanese soldiers advanced swiftly on their small bicycles through Pondok Tanjung, Kamunting and into Taiping. The small band of British and allied soldiers who stayed behind to defend Taiping was soon defeated. Those who died were later buried at the British memorial cemetery along Waterfalls Road at the foot of Maxwell Hills (Bukit Larut).

Japanese Soldier on Bicycle

Next: 15. Screening and Interrogation

13. Father A Self-Educated Man

A Young Chung Chow

As a young man, father Chung Chow was very interested in acquiring knowledge. He attended only two years of primary school in China when he was 10. From 1938 to 1939, he studied Mandarin during night classes at the Cheng Hua Chinese School along Jalan Mahajarela (formerly Birch Road) in Taiping, Perak.

Mandarin was introduced into Malaya during the 1920s and became very popular among the Chinese. Classes were held from 8 to 9 p.m., and the monthly tuition fee was only 50 cents. During his free time, he would mingled with the elders and coaxed them to teach him the traditional Chinese classics. He was also a very keen reader and would read all kinds of books he could get his hands on.

With only four years of so-called formal education, it was his diligence and keen interest that helped him acquired the necessary skills to read and write in the Chinese language. We are very proud of his achievements and admired very much his courage and determination in his pursuit for knowledge.

Cheng Hua School now occupied by Oversea Seafood Restaurant

Next: 14. Japanese Occupation

12. Father Chung Chow's Siblings

Our father Chung Chow had three siblings - two sisters, Keng Wan and Sui Wan and a younger brother Keng San.

Uncle Loke Kee Keng & Auntie Keng Wan

Auntie Keng Wan was born in 1930. She is the only surviving first generation member till this day. She is married to Loke Kee Keng, and they lived in Petaling Jaya.

Uncle and Auntie Loke

Auntie Sui Wan was born in 1935 and was married to her neighbour Ooi Choo Fong.

Uncle and Auntie Ooi

Uncle and Auntie Ooi

Aunt Sui Wan passed away on December 27, 1999. She was 64, and she had very strong resemblance to her mother orour grandmother, Wong Sui Cheng. Their home is based in Klang, Selangor.

Uncle Ooi Choo Fong & Auntie Sui Wan's Family

Father Chung Chow had a younger brother called Keng San who was born in 1937. Unfortunately, he died on November 3, 1944, at the tender age of eight when he drowned at the Taiping Lake Gardens during a duck-catching festivity organized by the Japanese authorities. Our grandparents were so heart-broken that Keng San's personal items including his photographs were burned, and his name was never mentioned again. As a result, we knew very little about him.

Uncle Keng San's memorial tablet

Next: 13.Father A Self-Educated Man

11. Life As A Taoist Priest

Taoist Priest

Our grandfather Chan was a very well-known Taoist priest, and his work required him to travel as far north as Kepala Batas in Province Wellesley, Penang and the whole of Perak. My colleague, Hor Ah Har, whose parents lived in Kepala Batas told me that they knew our grandfather Chan as he often visited their area in his heydays.

Grandfather Chan had a god-son who live in Lenggung, Perak. His parents own a sawmill there. In the mid-90s, I took our parents and visited him and his family in Lenggung. One of his son operates a seafood restaurant in town.

Taoist Deities

In the old days, Taoist priests usually worked alone and traveled far and wide to serve the people. Grandfather Chan had a lot of responsibilities and had to follow certain religious ethics. He could only accept certain amount of payment, for example, he was paid $3.60 for prayers services in Sitiawan which was more than 80 km from Taiping.

Performing funeral services and rituals were some of the toughest and most tiring tasks as it could last from three to five days with praying sessions lasting until the wee hours of the morning. It was hard work and not much pay then, very unlike the commercialized and profit-oriented services offered by priests and monks nowadays.

Chinese Opium Smokers

Thus, it was not uncommon to find Taoist priests indulged in smoking opium and drinking alcohol - two of the many harmful vices in the old days. They had taken to opium and alcohol as a means of 'revitalizing' themselves physically and mentally after long and tiring hours performing funeral rites. And our grandfather became a victim too.

However, it was not opium (nor tuberculosis which was very prevalent then) that killed him, but rather his addiction to samsu - an alcoholic drink brewed from rice - which eventually damaged his liver.

During the Japanese Occupation from 1942 to 1945, his health deteriorated as medical facilities and medicine were greatly lacking or unavailable then. In foresight, grandfather Chan insisted that our father Chung Chow become a mechanic, and not follow in his footsteps to be a Taoist priest. He feared that Chung Chow might succumb to opium and alcohol that were so popular among the Taoist priests in those days.

So, around the mid-1930s, grandfather's younger brother Ting Yang who was working at the Kamunting Tin Mining Company, helped our father Chung Chow obtained a job as an apprentice machinist at the same place. The company operated several dredgers that mined for tin ore in the outskirts of Taiping and had a large ironworks factory situated behind the mosque in Kamunting.

Tin Dredger

Tin Dredger

Tin Dredge Buckets

Tin Dredger

Fortunately, father Chung Chow had heeded his father's advice. He was then in his early 20s, and it was about time for him to help support the family that had grown to six: Chung Chow, his father and mother, two sisters, and a younger brother.

His granduncle, Chan Ying Kau and Ying Kau's son, Ah Choon, were both Taoist priests like our grandfather Chan Ah Kee. And as members of a fraternity, they banded together for mutual help and shared the same dwelling. Ying Kau's father, Chan Kau Seng had passed away and was buried at the Quangdung Cementery in Tupai. During Cheng Meng, we would pray at his grave first before we proceed to the rest of our ancestors' burial sites.

Next: 12. Father Chung Chow's Siblings

10. Settling Down In Taiping

1927     Wong Sui Cheng and Chung Chow returned to Taiping, Malaya to be reunited with Chan Ah              Kee. Chung Chow about 12 years old then.
1930     Chung Keng Wan was born.
1935+   Chung Chow, then about 20 years started work as an apprentice machinist at the Kamunting                Tin Mining Company in Kamunting. Chung Sui Wan was born.
1937     Chung Keng San was born. (December 21, 1937. Tuesday - Chinese 11th lunar month 19th                  day, Ox Year).
1941 - 1945     Japanese soldiers first landed in Sabak in Kelantan (December 8, 1941). Eventually                 entered Taiping from the north through Selama. Japanese Occupation: February 1942 to                       September 1945.


Back in Taiping, our grandmother Wong and our father Chung Chow reunited with our grandfather Chan. They stayed in several houses before finally settling down at No.15 Tupai Road. Father Chung Chow recalled that some of the houses they had lived in were at Temple Road opposite the Chin Woo Association; at Eastern Road opposite the Lido theatre; at Tupai Road in a house which is now occupied by Cheong Electric Company; and then finally, in 1942, they moved across the road to No. 15 Tupai Road during the Japanese Occupation.

No. 15 Tupai Road, Taiping

It was in this house that father Chung Chow finally settled down, got married to our mother Lee Mooi, and raised nine of us. Our parents lived in this house for 54 years but had to vacate it in 1996. It was in this house too that our grandfather and grandmother passed away in 1947 and 1955 respectively.



Next: 11. Life As A Taoist Priest