Page 24 - Stories from our Grandparents

hen talking about war in Singapore, the common topic of his is an account from my grandfather,
discussion among many would certainly be World War II
and the Japanese Occupation of Singapore. Fortunately,
WI was given the opportunity to interview my neighbour,
Mr Tan, who has a lot of stories to share based on his memory of the war,
which gave me a better insight and understanding as to what people at
that time have gone through and how they felt experiencing it themselves.
When asked about his personal experience of war, Mr Tan
immediately recollected the wartime memories he had and
mentioned how it was an unforgettable experience for him and his
family at that time. Life during the occupation was described by him
to be atrocious and filled with terror as there were numerous killings
and many were tortured under the hands of the Japanese.
A handful of Japanese soldiers patrolled the streets diligently and people
were expected to bow as a form of acknowledgement each time they
passed by. Those who refused to do as instructed or what was required of
them would be given severe punishments by the vicious Japanese and the
same happened to those who were deemed to be anti-Japanese.
It is undeniable that the war involved awful suffering and violence,
as well as ill-treatment by the Japanese, as evident when thousands
of Chinese people were taken away to be massacred.
Mr Tan ended off his sharing by giving his
personal thoughts and views, stating that the
wartime suffering had brought about many
lessons, one which can be used to make a
comparison between the past and the present,
serving as a reminder to the young to appreciate
the life that they are currently enjoying.
Mr Tan Chee Keong BORN 1933
By Dian Qurratu’aini Bte A R
Millennia Institute
Abdul Majeed Syed Ismail, during the
Japanese Occupation. Mr Abdul was
Taround 12 years old when Singapore fell
into the hands of the Japanese. My grandfather
described how his family constantly
lived in turmoil, fearing that their children,
relatives, and friends would be caught Mr Abdul Majeed Syed
by the Japanese. The Japanese frequently Ismail BORN 1931
investigated any supporters of Great
Britain, any groups formed to overthrow By Roschendhini d/o Seleyan
the Japanese as well as any western Millennia Institute
‘influence’ or ‘propaganda’. An example
of this would be newspapers or radios that shared news that
contradicted the Japanese propaganda in Singapore and Malaya.
Life went on under the Japanese rule. Mr Abdul remembered
whenever he was to leave the house, he would need to have a
purple ink chop on his hand to move about in public.
And how if he were to encounter a Japanese soldier or official, he
had to bow as a show of respect. If he had not, it would be seen as
an act of defiance against the Japanese and he would be punished.
Mr Abdul then went on to state his experiences surviving with limited food.
During the Japanese Occupation, it was a common sight to see many living
in poverty and suffering from malnutrition and diseases. It did not help that
essentials such as rice, salt and sugar were sold at
high prices in the “black market”. Banana notes were
useless as whenever the Japanese needed more
money, they simply printed more notes. Mr Abdul
then said how his father and the males in the family
had to do back-breaking work to make ends meet.
Singapore’s fall to the Japanese was monumental in
letting us know that we will never place the security of our nation and
citizens in the hands of another.
Grandpa Stories 25