Page 97 - Stories from our Grandparents

Mdm Hajjah Sabooroo
Bte Md Ismail Born 1934
By Farzana bte Abdul Rahim
Millennia Institute
y grandparent’s story is based on my father’s recollection
from what my late grandmother had shared with him of
her experience of the Japanese invasion during World “As my late grandmother resided in a kampong with
MWar 2. My late grandmother, Sabooroo Bte Ismail, her family, she mentioned how it was very rare to see
was 83 when she passed on, meaning that she was born during a Japanese soldier lurking around the kampongs. To
the year 1934. Therefore, she was around 8 years old when the
Japanese had invaded and 11 years old when they surrendered. add on, the Japanese soldiers were also not in their
uniforms, which made it even harder to spot them
During the Second World War, my late grandmother had told my from afar.”
father how the Japanese soldiers were kind but were also strict
towards the Malay-Muslim community, as they were not regarded Having the Japanese favour the Malay-Muslim community was a boon. With
as a threat, unlike their treatment towards the Chinese community, the Japanese treating the Malay-Muslim with civility, they allowed religious
which was cruel and harsh. Although the Malay-Muslim community schools but also punished those who did not attend Friday prayers, which
were not treated as harshly as the Chinese community, they was deemed compulsory for the males. They also made the collection of
were not entirely spared, as they would still be punished if they tithe money smoother and also allowed Muslims to celebrate religious and
disobeyed the Japanese soldiers, and there were also incidents non-religious activities with public holidays.
of some Malays being made to help at the Death Railway Camps,
located around Thailand and Burma. However, Muslim religious leaders were expected to preach to the
Malay-Muslim community of the kindness the Japanese showed,
and Malay teachers were forced to learn and teach the Japanese
language in their schools, although my late grandmother had
forgotten how to speak the language due to old age.

38 Grandma Stories Grandma Stories 39