Page 111 - Stories from our Grandparents

Mdm robiah Ahmad Born 19xx

By S Nurathirah S Jumat
Millennia Institute

y grandmother was around 10-12 years old when the The Japanese would bring the unknowing victims to isolated beaches, tied
Japanese took over Singapore. She was rather lucky their hands together and lined them up in a straight line by the seaside.
to not have encountered much horror and terror that Taking their rifles, they would fire away and watch the helpless individuals
Mfilled the streets during that time. She claimed that the fall down one by one into the seawater. It was almost like a game for them.
Chinese citizens received far worst treatments at that time and that
the Malays and Indians weren’t really a problem for the Japanese One of the biggest problems that Singapore faced during that time was the
depleted supplies of basic necessities such as food.
administrators. However, as a curious child, she carefully observed
what the Japanese soldiers did to the Chinese families living near “During the warring years, staples such as rice and noodles
her ‘kampong’. Up till today, she sympathizes and would never
forget the fear that the Japanese soldiers instilled in her neighbours. came under tighter centralised control and were rationed
monthly. They had to carry their identification cards and
I remember clearly that the Chinese families that lived near queue in very long lines in order to get their
me would cut their daughter’s hair short and dress them like
a boy as much as possible to avoid getting taken away by the rations which did not even last for long especially
Japanese and it was rather smart I thought. for those with bigger families. They also had to

During that time, Japanese soldiers would just barge into their cover large distances just to buy different things
homes, taking away any girls of different ages for their sexual such as rice and kerosene with their currency at
pleasures. For the girls, they would pull down their pants and that time which was called the Banana Money.”
rape them, even in front of their parents, and for the boys, they
would beat them up very badly. One of the most horrifying lies Families had no choice but to plant cheap but nutritious
the Japanese told people was that they would give them a job so sweet potatoes and tapioca in their backyards as an
long as these men followed them. Many people, particularly men alternative to the much preferred white rice to supplement
desperate to bring food to the table, believed that and went away their diets.
with the soldiers.
I also recalled having blisters and calluses forming on my hands
whenever I helped my mother plant those sweet potatoes
and tapiocas but it was all worth it because the tapiocas that I
planted were always the sweetest and my
father loved them very much.

52 Grandma Stories Grandma Stories 53