DIPLOMA IN EDUCATION (GENERAL)
*LIFE DURING THE SYONAN - TO PERIOD
FROM AN INDIAN MAN’S EXPERIENCE*
ETL 201 (JULY 2003) – ORAL HISTORY
ASSIGNMENT
SUBMITTED BY
Name: Vigneswari D/O Baskaran (020450E24)
Programme: Diploma in Education (General) July 2002
Module Title: Selected History Topics for Primary Social
Studies
Module Code: ETL 201
Tutor’s Name: Dr Ang Cheng Guan.
Tutorial Group: 3 (Friday 10.30am – 12.30pm)
Date Of Submission: 18 October 2003
Life during the Syonan-To period
Reminiscences of the Japanese Occupation
For the purpose of doing this oral history project, I am fortunate to have the
opportunity to interview an individual who had survived the Japanese Occupation. He
is my grandfather, Mr. Kuppusamy Reddy. He showed great enthusiasm and related
his experience in Tamil during the 2.5 hours interview. His accounts shed light on the
ways that individuals inject meanings to a particular subject.
Background
Mr. Kuppusamy was born in 1920. He was the eldest son in a family of 5
children. He was married in his teens and had 2 children during the Japanese
occupation. His family lived in a village in Sembawang, which was near the
Sembawang Naval Base.
The Dark Years of Japanese Occupation
The impending presence of the Japanese on Mr. Kuppusamy’s daily life was
felt as early as 1941. As a young father of two children, he faced severe shortage of
food and other necessities like medicine. When the British surrendered, they did not
want Japanese to enjoy the fruit of their labour. All the rice in the warehouse was
sprayed with limestone. As limestone is white, the Japanese did not suspect any foul
play by the British. So those who ate the rice had diarrhoea. Japanese took over much
of the foodstuffs and other goods for the use of their army. Due to the food shortage,
essential food stuffs like rice; salt and sugar were controlled. His family lived on a
simple diet and found other food substitutes for those food items which were scarce.
Tapioca and sweet potatoes were used as substitutes for rice and palm oil or coconut
oil was used as cooking oil. This was the widespread situation in Singapore during the
Syonan-To years. Many historians have written about the food scarcity during the
Syonan rule. There is a lot of evidence to state that during the Japanese rule, many
people suffered from malnutrition and diseases, as they did not have well balanced
meal. Those taken as prisoners of war also suffered under the iron grip of the Japanese
and many died out of malnutrition.
Transport during the Japanese reign
Mr. Kuppusamy recalls bicycles being widely used as mode of transport
during the Japanese reign. So much so that even after the Japanese surrendered, he
and the other villagers working in the Sembawang Shipyard used bicycles as means of
transport to travel to work. Trishaw, which consisted of a bicycle with a sidecar
attached for a fare-paying passenger, replaced the former rickshaw. He stated that the
Japanese bicycles had only thin solid rubber tires. He also recalled in the interview to
have seen the Japanese use a few cars. Some historians state that there must have been
thousands of vehicles, most of which were new. This great fleet of transport fell to the
Japanese as booty, when they captured Singapore. However, the lack of spare parts, or
technical skills, or both, made the fleet diminish rapidly to a deplorable state so much
so that it almost faded by the time the Japanese surrendered. Transport was a big
problem for the local people throughout the Occupation. (1) The Japanese were in
control of the world’s rubber and many oil fields. (2) They forced many motor
vehicles to run on coal gases or inferior petrol made from vegetable sources. Public
vehicles dwindled and cars ceased to be available for almost all other than the
Japanese.
Work Experiences
Mr. Kuppusamy did not attend school but worked as an odd job labourer.
Later, he worked as a car washer for the Japanese. He told that he was not disturbed
by the Japanese and was given food or money as his pay. He also mentioned that the
Japanese did not disturb his family or him. Their attitude was that as long as you are
good to them they would be good to you. However, Mr. Kuppusamy did mention that
the Japanese forced all children to go to school. This could be to instil the Japanese
value and culture in the young minds at a very tender impressionable age to gain
people’s allegiance. The Japanese tried to influence the school children to become
patriotic towards Japan by making them to sing Japan’s national anthem. This is
another aspect of their rule where they tried out propaganda. Several historians have
conquered the same evidence regarding the Japanese intention to remove the western
influence and promote the Japanese culture and values. Japanese lessons were
published in the newspapers and broadcast over the radio. In order to encourage
people to learn the Japanese language, job privileges and extra allowances were given.
Different methods were used to influence the minds of the people in Singapore. The
Japanese controlled radio stations and radio sets were sealed so that people could only
listen to local broadcasts. Those caught tuning in to foreign broadcasting stations were
severely punished or killed.
Japanese – The Disciplinarians
Throughout the Syonan-To rule, the people were constantly living in fear
because the Japanese took harsh action to establish control over the people. Those
caught looting were shot or beheaded and their heads were displayed at public places.
Those who were passing by must witness such a scene if not they will be called back
to look directly at the decapitated head. Barbed wire was also put up across roads to
form roadblocks. The Japanese guards would make the people passing by to bow to
them as a sign of respect. Anyone who did not do so would be slapped, killed or
punished in some ways. When the children forgot to show respect to the Japanese
soldiers, these soldiers will use their knuckles to hit on the children’s foreheads.
Strongmen who were found at home not working will be immediately sent to work.
Those who were sick should report to work. They despised idling men.
The Japanese Treatment of the 3 main races in Singapore
According Mr. Kuppusamy the Chinese suffered the most during the Japanese
Occupation. Many Chinese in Singapore had sent money to help China fight Japan.
So the Japanese wanted to weed out the anti-Japanese sentiment among the
population. They carried out the Sook Ching Operation. They ordered all Chinese
men between 18 to 50 years of age to report at the mass screening centres. Then the
men will be questioned. The Japanese, however, had no proper way of finding out
who were against them. Those who the Japanese thought were against them were
taken away in lorries. Thousands of Chinese were taken in this way to Changi Beach
or other beaches where they were shot. Some Chinese, who were very desperate to
save their lives, disguised themselves as Indians or Malays to avoid the scrutiny of the
Japanese soldiers.
Mr. Kuppusamy recalled that Japanese were not overly suspicious of Indians
or the Malays. However, anybody who was thought to have acted against the Japanese
interest was severely dealt with. They will be either punished or killed.
Japanese role in instigating nationalistic feeling
According to Mr. Kuppusamy, the Japanese associated Indians in Singapore
with Gandhi and his movement in India. Gandhi was fighting for India’s freedom
from the British Colonial power. Japanese told the Indians in Singapore that Japan
would help India to get rid of the British rulers. They also wanted all Indians to join
the Indian National Army (INA) to fight the British in India. Subhas Chandra Bose,
the founder of INA was allowed to come to Singapore to collect funds for his
establishment. Historical facts also seemed to prove the relevance of his statement.
From the interview, Mr. Kuppusamy didn’t portray as someone who is antiJapanese. Probably his family and he did not really undergo much torture by the
Japanese. He definitely seemed to have welcomed the Japanese for one reason.
The Light of the South
From the interview one would deduce that Mr. Kuppusamy strongly feels that
the Japanese brought on the nationalistic fervour among the citizens. Nationalistic
feeling caught onto some people like forest fire and the thirst for independence was
ignited due to Syonan-To. He sincerely feels that Singaporeans have to thank the
Japanese for opening their eyes and realizing how vulnerable they were. Abandoned
by the Colonial master- the Supreme British, Singapore faced three and a half years of
darkness in the hands of the Japanese. He believed that Syonan-To, which means ‘The
Light of the South’, was shone in Singapore. He stated that if the Japanese didn’t
occupy Singapore, till today we would have been a colonial state. So he ended off the
interview by stating that the ends justify the means. We owe our freedomindependence- to the Japanese. Historians feel that Japanese Occupation had
awaken political consciousness of the masses.
Conclusion
This Oral History project had helped me to recover and record descriptions
and interpretations of ‘The Japanese Occupation’. Men like my grandfather, Mr.
Kuppusamy, may not write memoirs, biographies or diaries for the future generations
to understand the subject but he carried with him the wealth of information. I am glad
I interviewed him because his contributions and perceptions are captured in this
project.
Footnotes
1.
Gilmour, O.W. With Freedom To Singapore Ernest Benn Limited, London
1950. p.122
2. Gilmour, O.W. With Freedom To Singapore Ernest Benn Limited, London
1950. p.122
Reference

Chou, Cindy. Beyond the Empires. Memories Retold by Cindy Chou

National Heritage Board, 1995.

Donald A. Ritchie, Doing Oral History, New York: Twayne Publishers, 1995.

Gilmour, O.W. With Freedom To Singapore Ernest Benn Limited , London 1950

Goh, Chor Boon. Living Hell. Story of a WWII Survivor at the Death Railway.
Asiapac Books Pte Ltd, 1999.

Paul Ashton, On The Record: A Practical Guide to Oral History , Sydney: North
Sydney Council, 1994

Shinozaki, Mamoru. My Wartime Experiences In Singapore

Institute Of Southeast Asian Studies

Curriculum Planning & Development Division, Ministry of Education, Singapore.

Social Studies Textbook 4B: Discovering our world. The Dark Years, 1999.

History Alive – A Lower Secondary Oral History Project by Bukit Panjang
Government High School.

Http:// www.nhb.gov.sg/
PROFILE OF THE INTERVIEWEE:
Name of interviewee: Mr. Kuppusamy Reddy
Age: 80 plus
Relation to the interviewer: Grandfather
Nationality: Singaporean
Pre-War occupation: Odd job labourer / car washer
Language: Tamil
Duration: 2.5 hours
Venue: My house
Oral History Transcript
Excerpts from the Transcript of the Interview
Life during the Syonan-To period
Q1:
How do you know that the Japanese have invaded Singapore?
Ans.: The moment I received telegram from my home in Malaysia, we knew the
Japanese were here and it was only a matter of time.
Q2: Can you tell me about the kind of food the people ate during the Japanese
Occupation
Ans.: I was then in my twenties. I can still remember eating tapioca and sweet potatoes. We hardly saw sugar. We only managed to get palm sugar“Gula Melaka”. Our coffee was without milk and that’s “ Kopi- O”. The
Japanese told us to grow our own food and vegetables. My neighbours and I
will take turns to guard our plot of vegetables because we were afraid
someone would steal. We hardly saw rice. And for Indians that was our staple
food. So, most of the time, we will pray hard for rice. The boys will drink
coconut milk given by our neighbours. Until now I don’t know from where
they got those coconuts.
Q3:
When did the situation of shortage of food improved?
Ans.:
When the Japanese started to give us food rations. We got everything but in
smaller quantities. They gave food according to the number of people at home.
Luckily we had very good neighbours and the boys were fed well. But
occasionally I will ask my wife to cook tapioca for a week so that we will
appreciate food. I heard that before the British surrendered they didn’t want
the Japanese soldiers to get all the rice, which they had stored, in their
warehouse. So they poured limestone onto the rice. As limestone was white it
blended well with the rice. So when the Japanese occupied Singapore they did
release the rice to us but many people suffered from diarrhoea. At least that
was what I was told.
Q4:
Can you relate your school experience?
Ans.: I did not go to school cause I was working all over the place to support the
family. No permanent jobs, because all were afraid of the Japanese and were
afraid to hire helpers. I sometimes help the Chinese but the Japanese will
always disturb them so I just move all over the place. Then I started washing
the Japanese’s cars. Only a few; but had to do it every day. They some times
pay me the banana notes or give food. As long as they don’t disturb my family
and me, it was ok. But the Japanese attitude was to be good to them and they
would be good to you. So I just wash their cars and go home to spend time
with the children. If children were at home not attending school then the
Japanese will threaten us and make sure they are sent to school. But my
children were too young so they were excused. But if I am not wrong my
neighbour’s children told me that they sang the national anthem of Japan in all
the schools. Well the Japanese rule so they have it their way.
Q5:
Can you tell me about the transport system during the Syonan-To period?
Ans.: Bicycles - and that’s their favourite. Before the Japanese, there
were rickshaws, bullock carts, horse-carriages, cars and trolley buses.
Japanese introduced bicycles to us. Their bicycle tires were different from
what we have today. Very thin solid tires. Only the Japanese Senior officers
and their families had cars. I remember one of them had 3 cars in his house.
After the Japanese occupation I was working in Sembawang Shipyard. So I
travelled in a bicycle to work. Many of my friends enjoyed riding bicycles.
Then they had a bicycle attached with a side-cart for a fare-paying passenger.
Q6:
How did the Japanese treat the different races in Singapore?
Ans.: They hated the Chinese the most. Ah! I must tell you this. My boss told
me this when I was working in the shipyard after the Japanese occupation.
One morning, around 5 a.m. a truck loaded with some men arrived near the
river at the Farrer Park. All the men were lined in a straight row along the
river. The Japanese soldiers shot them. Some bodies fell into the river and
some collapsed. It was indeed a scary and sad incident luckily I did not see it.
Those men were Chinese. Some Chinese also came to my house to hide away
from the Japanese. They knew I was with good terms with the Japanese
because I washed their cars. My wife also gave her sari to one Chinese woman
to disguise herself as an Indian so that she can get some food from her
relatives who were staying at the other corner of Singapore. She applied
charcoal on her face and hands to look dark. She also had a big red dot, the
size of a twenty-cent coin on her forehead, to pretend that she was an Indian.
She was covered form head to toe with the sari and I had to company her all
the way to Changi and back. The Japanese thought she was my relative.
Hahaha! The Malays and Indians didn’t get the same treatment as the Chinese.
Especially the Indians, when they searched our house, they see us; they ask
“Gandhi? Are you Gandhi?” Then they leave you alone. To them Gandhi
means the Indian leader fighting the British Colonial rule. We were lucky in
that sense. In fact, the Japanese did not know how to pronounce my name and
will call me Gandhi. Hahahah!
Q7:
What sort of control did the Japanese have on the people?
Ans.: Oh! They were strict. We must bow when we see them. They hated thieves
and looters. I have seen an amputated head which was put on a pole and
displayed it on the street. This is to deter the others from following suit. When
I passed by this head, I tried to look away. But the Japanese soldier made me
spit on the face of the head. So I did it with my eyes closed. I had fever for a
week after that.
Q8:
What was your feeling about the Japanese Occupation?
Ans.: We all suffered but not so much. They were kind at times. They carried
out propaganda to influence our minds and made us show loyalty to Japan.
I think they tried to remove the western influence and promote Japanese
culture and values. But one thing about the Japanese – they must be
considered as someone who showed us the light to independence. They
opened our eyes to the outside world. You see the British – the big power
couldn’t take care of us. The Japanese proved that we need not be afraid of the
British. If the Japanese had not come to Singapore, then even today us maybe
under the British Colony. They made us realize the need for independence.
Thanks to them, we are not under anybody’s rule now. And I think Gandhi
had the same idea too.
Thanks a lot for sharing with me your invaluable experience about the Japanese
Occupation, grandpa.