ETL201 Selected History Topics for Social Studies
Individual Assignment
Oral History
Name
:
Masri Kario ( Rico )
Matriculation No.
:
020200D24
T. Group No.
:
1
Tutor
:
Dr Ang Cheng Guan
Tutorial Day/Time
:
Monday, 12.30 - 1420 hrs
Date of Submission :
Saturday, 18th October 2003
An Institute of Nanyang Technological University
ETL201 Selected History Topics for Primary Social Studies
Oral History Individual Assignment
Singapore was once been under the Japanese occupation that lasted for
nearly three years. On February 15, 1942, Singapore surrender to the Japanese
after realizing that the situation was very bad especially there was a shortage of
food and ammunition at the frontline battlefield. Furthermore the Japanese had
cut off the water supply from State of Johore.
After a meeting held at the Battle Box at Fort Canning, British
commanders concluded that there was no other choice but to surrender. At 5
p.m. that day, led by Lieutenant-General Percival and other officials like Brigadier
Newbigging, Brigadier Torrance, and Major Wild, made their way to the Ford
Factory for the meeting. It was a first time ever meeting of top-ranking officers
from both armies.
However both had their own agendas like one wanted for an unconditional
surrender while the other one wanted to negotiate.
It was considered as one of the darkest period in the lives of every
Singaporean people then. It was the beginning day that the fate of Singapore
took a turn for the very worse, with serious insinuation for the three and half
years of the occupation.
Singaporean not only had to adapt to a change in the Governor, from
British ruler to a Japanese. But also had to suit themselves to a new name for
Singapore, ‘Syonan-to’, meaning, the ‘Light of the South’. It generally draws
attention to the hardships that the civilian population faced. The brutal illtreatment and slaughtering of innocent lives committed by the “Kempeitei’ or
Japanese Military.
"Japanese occupation brought an untold terror and hardships for
everyone. Bombs, sirens, massacres, epidemics, food shortages, concentration
camps, and Prisoners of War (POW) centres were part of everyday life."(1)
This essay attempts to see the Japanese Occupation through the eyes of
a Javanese Singaporean woman, against the backdrop of the Japanese
influence on the Javanese or Malay community that time and against the
established historical records. The personality of this oral history interview is
Madam Syemah Binte Kambari, a 70 years old woman who had went through the
days of darkness. Born in 1932, the good and bad memory is still quite fresh on
her mind.
During the occupation years from 1942-1945, she was a young growing
kid who lives in a kampong at Jalan Kampong Chantek, near 7th miles off Bukit
Timah Road. Living with her parent and 3 other younger siblings at a kampong
where most of the residents are from the Javanese and Malay communities.
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ETL201 Selected History Topics for Primary Social Studies
Oral History Individual Assignment
Madam Syemah or Wak Mah as what she preferred to be called, accounts
of the occupation years is similar to some historical accounts on the same period
that are presently available as published literature, However, there are some that
reveals the other side of the story that are difference from the history contents
where every personality who had gone through the hardships will have their own
personal experience and views about the occupations. The account in this oral
history shows the stubbornness, the fighting spirit and the compliance that Wak
Mah possessed. Hence it also shows the slight variations in the account that
show a slightly different perspective during the Japanese occupation.
The Living Conditions During Japanese Occupations in Singapore
Food Shortages
Food shortages causes food prices to soar, and locals had to resort to
their own cultivation of food production. However, this caused much hardship to
the people, who’s afford to grow their own food were only partially successful and
the price of food are not getting cheaper. And those who could afford it will
instead turn to black market to supplement their consumptions.
"Since many Malayans were under nourished as a result of food shortages, they
were highly susceptible to illness." (2) The Japanese administrators then
imposed a food rationing. "A rationing system was implemented and 2 to 3 flour
line ups once a month for basic foodstuffs became a normal occurrence of a daily
life.
However, Wak Mah was quite fortunate. Although she is from a poor family and
during that time, food are scarce and limited, she and her family did not rely too
much on others although they still do get their rations in a form of coupons. Wak
Mah father had a ‘kebun’ a small garden for plantation behind their house where
they grow some crops such as tapiocas etc. (3) But of course she doesn’t get
any luxury food like meat as they are from a poor family.
The Imposition of Restrictive Regulations on the Civilians
During the occupation, certain social regulations were implemented.
"Pupils had to learn to speak Japanese and to appreciate the culture of Japan.
The singing of the Japanese national anthem was made compulsory."
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ETL201 Selected History Topics for Primary Social Studies
Oral History Individual Assignment
Since Wak Mah has never been sent to school, she can recalls that she
ever learn the Japanese song by picking up from someone she overheard the
melody and start rhyming it, especially her younger sister “Painah’ who caught
the rhythm much faster then her (4) and managed to memorise the song well till
now.
Civilians also had to bow whenever they met a Japanese soldier passing
or nearby them. There were repercussions if they did not do so. An example "In
Havelock Road, when a couple was `rude' enough not to get down from their
rickshaw and pay respects while passing by, the soldiers demanded that the
husband run and pull the rickshaw...'' (5)
The Acts of Japanese ‘Kempeitai’
‘Kempeitai’ or Japanese Military Police was synonymous with fear and hatred.
The brutal treatment of both civilians and prisoners by the act of ‘Kempeitai’ has
been extensively recorded in print articles on this particular period. "Much
suffering, pain and suffering resulted from the behaviour of the Kempeitei ... Their
methods of torment gained notoriety and the unambiguous hatred of both locals
and foreigners. Persons caught listening to illegal radios had pencils put into their
ears, which were then forced inwards. The `water treatment' had victims pumped
full with water down their throat until belly bloated. Then the soldiers would jump
repeatedly on his water-filled belly."(6)
In the interview, Wak Mah did not actually see any incidents of Japanese brutality
and ill treatment. However, she experienced much fear and anxiety and did cry
out loud when her father was being threatened by the Japanese soldiers if he did
not corporate by giving them information of woman where about… (7) Because
on their mind is woman they were looking for. Wak Mah also recalls seeing death
body along the path covered by coconut leaves and beheaded heads hanging
over the trees. (8)
From this narrative account, it can safely be said and there are evidence
that indeed some form of physical torture was carried out on these people. The
woman been taken away and could possibly have been raped and beaten.
Japanese Took Away Grandpa’s Close Relatives
Wak Mah recalls that her grandpa, Joko told the family that one of their
close relatives, Jaffar had been arrested and taken away by the Japanese one of
the afternoon and were sent to Siam, Burma to do some work there.
It was known that “In 1942-43, during World War 11, the imperial
Japanese Army built a railway from Ban Pong, in Thailand, to Thanbyuzayat, in
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ETL201 Selected History Topics for Primary Social Studies
Oral History Individual Assignment
Burma. This railway, 415 kilometers long, and built through some of the most
inhospitable disease ridden terrain in the world, it was to supply a large Japanese
Army in Burma. It was the construction of “Death Railway”. The railway was
constructed using an absolute minimum of mechanical equipment and a
maximum of human effort.”
“The project resulted in a huge loss of life of the Allied Prisoners of War
(POWs) and Asian forced labourers that were used to construct it. An estimated
13,000 POWs and 80,000 Asian labourers died of disease, sickness, starvation
and brutality at the hands of the Japanese Army.” (9)
Wak Mah and her family recalls that they we relief to find out that Jaffar,
their so-called close relatives was among a few who survived and returned back
to Singapore. However recall Wak Mah that Jaffar came back with a very bad
sickness where he had a kind of skin infectious diseases that cover most of his
body. (10) But they were glad that he was still alive back then.
Discrepancies and a Different Perspective of Oral History
In any oral history account, there are bound to be a slight discrepancies in
the account which do not consent with the historical records already been
published. However, in this particular oral history transcript, the account given is
quite the same as to historical records of that period.
Our history records of Japanese occupation are usually occupied with the
heroic stories of normal civilians personality like Lim Bo Seng. They are some
who had place their lives at danger to fight the Japanese invaders and are
remembered in our history as heroes and heroines.
Conclusion
The personal recounts of Madam Syemah or Wak Mah’s experiences
during the Japanese occupation is an interesting one. It shows a feature of the
Japanese occupation, which we already know from historical records. It shows
the bravery, humor and inflexible spirit of a young growing kid living in difficult
times through during the occupation. Although, she was no hero, she displayed
positive qualities that helped her survive a time, escapes from any ill-treatment
though she was still young when many others may not.
As for completing this oral history assignment, I am able to acquire new
skills of conducting oral history and acquire new knowledge and information from
directly interview in person - who have gone through hardships and suffering
during the Japanese Occupations.
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Oral History Individual Assignment
Endnotes
(1) Maj. Yap Siang Yong et al., Fortress Singapore: The Battlefield Guide
(Singapore:
Times
Books
International,
1995),
p.6.
(2) Nigel Kelly, History of Malaya and South East Asia (Singapore: Heinemann
Asia 1993
(3) “Since we have no food and didn’t get to eat rice for few days because we
have no rice to cook. We have to eat tapioca, the skin of the tapioca and
grass that we took from or near the ‘longkang’ (a small drainage) and for
tapioca we have tree and we just dig it from the ground. That’s all we eat for
everyday. We are lucky to have our own garden where ‘Mak’ father to have
that time. He grows tapioca and some other crops behind the house.”
(Transcripts Q20)
(4) “About that… erm… I do hear the Japanese song before somewhere. I
forget the tuned though. I hear from someone then I try to imitate the sound
and the melody. Your aunty ‘Bibik Painah’ knows how to sing that song
(Referring to my mum’s younger sister) we didn’t go or manage to learn the
Japanese language or know that they are teaching it during the time of the
occupation. ‘Mak’ from a poor family, where got money to go to school.
(Transcripts Q12)
(5) Maj. Yap Siang Yong et al., Fortress Singapore: The Battlefield Guide
(Singapore:
Times
Books
International,
1995),
p.24
(6) National Heritage Board, The Japanese Occupation, 1942-1945, Time
Editions
(7) “But then later the Japanese soldiers came back and these times my father
was being offered a handful of Japanese coins to give information to them on
where they can find women. They would say in their sign and body language
to my father on where they can find women in the house.” (Transcripts Q9)
(8) “I am not sure about that cause my village where I stay was sort of, Javanese,
Boyanese and the Malay community. I don’t see any Indians or Chinese in
the area I stay in. But I do saw corpses of death bodies lying along or near
the paths.” (Transcripts Q15)
“I saw this ‘Pakcik Haji’ (referring to a male person who have performed the
hajj) body covered with coconut leaves. My father against me from watching
it from nears the body, as most of the corpses are rotten and decomposed.
They are mostly men and no children but ‘Mak’ also saw beheaded heads
hanging across a tree and the body was nowhere to be found.
(Transcripts Q16)
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ETL201 Selected History Topics for Primary Social Studies
Oral History Individual Assignment
(9) Nigel Kelly, History of Malaya and South East Asia (Singapore: Heinemann
Asia 1993
(10) One word, which can describe it, is …suffering. I think everyone suffer
during the occupations. I pity your grandpa’s close relatives , Jaffar, who was
being taken away and sent to the Burma to do some labour work and when
he safely returned back to Singapore, he suffered a skin infections where all
his body rashes and blisters. They also being ill treated and not enough
nutrition’s given to them that they loose weight and came back with only a
skinny bone. But lucky he is back alive and safely returned to Singapore.
And luckily that time ‘Mak’ father was not been taken too… or else we are
not as we are todaylah. (Transcripts Q28)
Bibliography
National Heritage Board, The Japanese Occupation, 1942-1945, Time
Editions
Maj. Yap Siang Yong et al., Fortress Singapore: The Battlefield Guide
(Singapore: Times Books International, 1995)
Nigel Kelly, History of Malaya and South East Asia (Singapore: Heinemann
Asia 1993
Bryan C. Cooper, 1998, Decade of Change, Malayan & The Straits Settlements,
Graham Brash (Pte) Ltd. Singapore
Edited By Paul H. Kratoska, 1995, Malaya And Singapore During The Japanese
Occupation, The National University of Singapore
Edited By Foong Choon Hoon, 1995, Price of Peace, Asiapac Books Pte Ltd
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ETL201 Selected History Topics for Primary Social Studies
Oral History Individual Assignment
Appendix: Oral History Transcripts
Q1) How old were you during the Japanese occupation?
Answer: I was 10 years old then.
Q2) How many people were there in your family?
Answer: “Nyai”(Grandma), Senah (my mum), Bari (my dad), Painah (my younger
sister) age at 8 years old and Pardi (my younger brother) age about 6 years old.
Total five people altogether.
… Continue Q2 Including yourself?
Answer: With me will be 6 people in the family.
Q3) What was your education level at that time?
Answer: Ermm… ‘Mak’, mother in Malay was not schooling. I was at at home all
the while. I am not being sent to school before or during that time. My father
didn’t have money to sent me to school. We are poor and have no money to sent
us to school. The only time I remember was that I have been sent to a religious
school with my other siblings but that was after the Japanese occupation.
Q4) Who in your family was working and what were they working as just
before the outbreak of war?
Answer: What I can remember was that my father work as rubber tax collector at
a rubber plantation near our house. And my mother work as a maid.
…Continue Q4 You mean there are rubber plantations in Singapore?
Yes! There are but not that biglah. It’s near the 7th miles at Bukit Timah also. It
belong to “Orang Putih’, white man in malay. ‘Bapak’, father in malay work there.
Both ‘Bapak and ‘Ibu’ work. My mother also makes ‘kuih’ untuk dijual (for sell – in
malay). She also had to take care of the housekeeping and takes care of our
daily necessities.
Q5) Before the actual outbreak of war in Singapore, were or your family
members aware that a war was coming?
Answer: Have… have someone don’t know who go and told us and everybody at
the vicinity that the ‘Jepun’, (Japan in malay) is coming… (Nak dating!)
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ETL201 Selected History Topics for Primary Social Studies
Oral History Individual Assignment
Q6) Could you recall, what happened during the Japanese air raids?
Answer: I cannot remember that part but I remember that I did hear the sound of
airplanes passing through the sky. Either then that I was all along in the ‘barrack’.
Q7) Were there any measures undertaken by your family to protect
yourselves?
Answer: My father informed and chased out my mother and grandma to leave
together with some other friends from the house and to follow them to a ‘barrack’
or assemble hall at Jalan Kampong Chantek at or near Bukit Timah area. Then
we all go to the ‘barrack’ and everyone from the village come and assemble and
gathered at the ‘barrack’.
… Continue Q7. Then did you bring all you belongings together with you?
No! All our belongings were all left behinds in the house except that we brought
along our clothing… that’s all nothing else. Not even the important documents
such, as birth certificates and I don’t know where are they. I just follow my mother
and helped her to carry the stuff together with my other siblings. We didn’t bring
along our pillow too…
And after we gathered and stayed there for the time being, till whenever we hear
a siren, we then went into a ‘tanah’ (manhole in malay – sort like a underground
bomb shelter) with a smile when my mother recall this events.
Q8) Did you see what was happening in the streets?
Answer: We hear the sound of tanks coming and saw ‘kereta tank’ (Japanese
tanks in malay) camouflage with leaves and we could not even see the Japanese
soldiers. The might be inside the tanks passing through the road near the
‘barrack’ where we gathered at. I never see the ‘Orang Putih’, the white man
around at the vicinity. I don’t know where they are.
Q9) What was the reaction of the Japanese soldiers during the
occupations?
Answer: During their occupation, they come to every household and ransacked
at their property. I still remember when we went back to our house, we saw that
our cupboard where my mother used to place the groceries product such as
sugar, milk powder etc were all topple off from the shelves and our rice went
missing. The ‘Koran’ (the Quran book) have been torn apart by the Japanese and
the place was really in the mess. Must be the work of the Japanese soldiers who
come and ransacked the place. The soldiers were no more there…
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ETL201 Selected History Topics for Primary Social Studies
Oral History Individual Assignment
But then later the Japanese soldiers came back and these times my father was
being offered a handful of Japanese coins to give information to them on where
they can find women. They would say in their sign and body language to my
father on where they can find women in the house. But somehow later came their
so-called ‘chief’ Japanese soldiers and asked them what were they doing here.
He ordered my father to return the coins back to the soldiers and then asked my
father whether there are any women in the house. Right there I cry very loudly as
they will chop off my father head with the sword if there are no women to give
them. He then chased off the soldiers from the
Q10) How was the situation immediately after the war?
Answer: It’s quite a sign of relief though, my family and all the people went back
to their home. But it was a total mess as the Japanese have destroyed most of
the things in the house. The Japanese destroyed all my father crops, our own
homegrown plantation and some others. We were really short of food then.
Q11) Did the Japanese come to your house?
Answer: Just now I tell you already that they did come over the house but they
only look for women at every house. That is why my father told the women
especially my mother and some other neighbours to go to the man-made tunnel
sort of hide out whenever the Japanese come and look for women. He will not let
us out till the Japanese had left the area.
Q12) Did you have to learn the Japanese language or song during the
occupation?
Answer: About that… erm… I do hear the Japanese song before somewhere. I
forget the tuned though. I hear from someone then I try to imitate the sound and
the melody. Your aunty ‘Bibik Painah’ knows well on how to sing that song
(Referring to my mum’s younger sister) ‘Mak’ didn’t manage to go to learn the
Japanese language or know that they are teaching it during the time of the
occupation. ‘Mak’ from a poor family, where got money to go to school.
Q13) So how did you understand their policies, rules and messages?
Answer: I know that my father told me before that whenever we came across the
Japanese soldiers we have to ‘bow’ to them sort of greetings. And ‘Mak’ still
remember that the villages were sometimes been called up and force to witness
any prosecution events like people ‘kena panchung’ (people being beheaded) for
mistakes they had done or law not being abide with. If they refused to watch and
see, we will be the one who will be panchung! But ‘Mak’ never gets a chance to
see that as father always kept us indoors.
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ETL201 Selected History Topics for Primary Social Studies
Oral History Individual Assignment
Q14) What was the treatment of the Japanese of the people?
Answer: Some of them are very kind and ‘baik-baik’ (good in malay) but others
they aren’t. I still remember that during the occupation, together with my younger
sister and me went out to sell my mother ‘kuih’ when some Japanese soldiers
came by and asked for our ‘kuih’ and they took some of our ‘kuih’ without paying
us.
… Continue Q14. They didn’t take you or ill-treated you because you are a
girl?
No… lah. They just don’t pay the ‘kuih’. Moreover we are kid and still young. And
mum not that prettylah that time…hahaha…. laugh my mum jokingly. If I have
been taken away with your aunt that time, I think you are not been born and not
here interviewing me here!
Q15) Was there any difference in the treatment of the races by the
Japanese?
Answer: I am not sure about that cause my village where I stay was sort of
Malay, Javanese, Boyanese and Indonesian community. I don’t see any Indians
or Chinese in the area I stay in. But I do saw corpses of death bodies lying along
or near the paths, waiting to be carried away by a truck (by the undertaker)
Q16) What are their races among the death? Are there any children? Men or
women?
Answer: I saw this ‘Pakcik Haji’ (referring to a male person who have performed
the hajj) body covered with coconut leaves. My father against me from watching
it from nears the body, as most of the corpses are rotten and decomposed. They
are mostly men and no children but ‘Mak’ also saw beheaded heads hanging
across a tree and the body was nowhere to be found.
Q17) During the occupation, was there any opportunity for other
language/culture to develop?
Answer: I am not sure cause most of the time I am not given a chance to play
outside besides helping to sell the ‘kuih’. Mak don’t know whether there are such
activities. But I do remember we do get to celebrate Hari Raya during the
occupation although not that grand.
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ETL201 Selected History Topics for Primary Social Studies
Oral History Individual Assignment
Q18) How were the medical facilities during the Japanese occupation?
Answer: Don’t know cause all a while my family didn’t fall sick during the
occupation and further more there are a traditional medicine man in the village
which was one of mum’s dad friends. (Sort of relatives to my mum family) I don’t
know whether there are hospitals or clinic provided during the time.
Q19) Did you get enough food to eat during the Japanese occupation?
Answer: After the Japanese had ransacked all the places and took away our rice,
we had quite difficulty on having food.
Q20) What kind of food did you eat then?
Answer: Since we have no food and didn’t get to eat rice for few days because
we have no rice to cook. We have to eat tapioca, the skin of the tapioca and
grass that we took from or near the ‘longkang’ (a small drainage) and for tapioca
we have tree and we just dig it from the ground. That’s all we eat for everyday.
We are lucky to have our own garden where ‘Mak’ father to have that time. He
grows tapioca and some other crops behind the house.
Q21) You gave your food away or do you share your food among your
family?
Answer: Yeah! Of course we share what we have and what we grow at the
garden and will be share among ourselves. But I remember that there were a van
that will come by at our village and gives us food such as biscuits and milk
powder. Someone gave it... I am not sure who is the person who provides a sort
of Good Samaritans
Q22) Could you tell me more about the ration system?
Answer: Oh yah… we have coupons to collect some food from ‘Balai’ (a
collections center in malay) Each family wee given a ration coupons to collect
dairy items like milk power, sugar and rice. I usually follow my ‘Nyai’ or grandma
to the collection center to collect the ration. ‘Mak’ remember that ‘Mak’ help ‘Nyai’
to carry the items back home.
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ETL201 Selected History Topics for Primary Social Studies
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Q23) Were there different races living in the kampong?
Answer: I don’t know. I only saw my own community in the vicinity. As I said I
never saw any white-man, Chinese and Indians community in my kampong
(village in malay). I guess the place where ‘Mak’ and family stay are all belongs
from a Muslims community. That is why very rare to see one from other races.
Q24) Were there any celebrations you remember?
Answer: The one I said earlier…. that I remember celebrating Hari Raya with my
immediate family and relatives. Although not very grand but I am quite happy
cause I received ‘duit’, (money in malay). In my entire life, ‘Mak’ never had a
chance to hold own pocket money. Although not that much but means a lot to
‘Mak’ to get some money from your ‘Grandpa’…
Q25) Were there any radios and television?
Answer: No. ‘Mak’ family is from a poor background and we can’t to have one
then. Furthermore during the occupations, we are not aloud to have a radio
transistor at home.
Q26) Were there any incidents that you can still remember today that
makes you laugh?
Answer: Oh the incidents that I saw that after the war is over, I saw this
Japanese soldiers bathing naked in a quarry.
Q27) What is your reaction of the Japanese occupation?
Answer: I don’t feel much though I was still a kid. Perhaps if your grandpa still
alive you can interview him instead of me cause he has the most memorable as
he also work for the British before the occupation
Q28) How would you describe the period of Japanese occupation?
Answer: One word, which can describe it, is …suffering. I think everyone suffer
during the occupations. I pity your grandpa’s friend who was being taken away
and sent to the Burma to do some labour work and when he safely returned back
to Singapore, he suffered a skin infections where all his body rashes and blisters.
They also being ill treated and not enough nutrition’s given to them that they
loose weight and came back with only a skinny bone. But lucky he is back alive
and safely returned to Singapore. And luckily that time ‘Mak’ father was not been
taken too… or else we are not as we are todaylah.
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