The Advent of World War II

After leaving school, Pow Nee did clerical work for the B.M. Catholic Benevolent Society which was organized by his brother, Pow On. In 1935, Pow Nee worked as a clerk in Sin Ban Guan Bus Service Co. which operated a bus service between Butterworth, B.M. and Kulim. Unfortunately the company got into financial difficulties and the Teng cmpany together with the petrol service station at 178, Straight Street B.M. were sold to settle the debt.

He then joined the teaching staff of St. Mary Mission School in Permatang Tinggi, teaching English; the time period was 1939-1941. In 1941, he was asked by the Education Department to attend the Teacher’s Training Class in Penang. However class was suspended in December 1941 when the war broke out. It was during this time that Pow Nee set eyes on one Agnes Lim Meng Hong. Pow Nee admired her because she was very conscious of her work duties, gentle, responsible and polite to everyone. One day, he asked her if she would be happy to marry him; she smiled and answered yes! Pow Nee then told her to pray to St. Anne for help and beg our dear Lord for guidance and blessings. He then spoke to Rev. Father Joachim and the latter agreed to his request. Their engagement then took place in the parochial house in the presence of Rev. Father Teng, Guru Magrida Chow, Rose Foo Nuyke Kim and Thye Sau. Pow Nee gave Ah Hong (his wife) a gold ring and she gave him her self-made handkerchief.

World War II started in 1939 and began to spread all over Europe. The Malayan Government had to prepare for any eventuality and called young people to serve either in the Volunteer Forces or in the Civil Defence. Pow Nee enrolled in the Civil Defence as an Air-raid Warden, a second officer of the B.M. Town Unit. He immediately had to undergo intensive training in First-Aid and fire-fighting, and was soon supplied with uniforms and equipment.

Fearing that the war might come to Malaya soon, Pow Nee immediately made preparation for his marriage to Agnes Lim Meng Hong. He took a loan of $100 from his Life Insurance Policy with Great Eastern Life Assurance Company. The made their wedding dresses in Penang but lost them when Penang was bombed in 1941.

The Japanese Army landed in Kota Bharu, Kelantan on 7th December 1941. They got into Kedah and marched towards Penang. Pow Nee’s family immediately vacated the family house at No.118 Straight Street, B.M., moving along on bullock-carts to Machang Bubok, about 4 miles from B.M. town. Foo Siong Siew (“Ah Todd”) and his people very kindly offered his family temporary shelter in their attap house in their kampung, about 2 miles from the main road to Kulim. Rev. Father Teng vacated the Orphanage, taking along with him the orphans to Permatang Tinggi Church for safety.

Police forces and Civil Defence Units were disbanded. British and Australian forces retreated in a hurry to the south (Perak). Bukit Mertajam was in a state of chaos. Looting was happening everywhere, especially in the B.M. High School area where there were several military stores which kept thousands of cartons of canned food, viz. cornbeef, sausages, sardines, luncheon meat, bakebeans, etc, and bags of wheat (gandom), maize and medical supplies. Many of the looters were greedy; their bicycles broke down because of overloading. Pow Nee bought from them a lot of the looted things very cheaply and kept them in our family town house which was looked after by one Uncle Foo Kooi Hin. Many sundry shops were broken into and bags of rice, sugar and foodstuff were thrown onto the streets, cut open for anyone cared to collect them. Government quarters suffered much. Heir furniture and belongings were thrown onto the streets and smashed up.

Looting spread to Prai, where private gowdowns were broken into and bags of sugar, rice and other foodstuffs were looted. Pow Nee and his friends cycled to Prai, hoping to get something. Along the way, they came across many stranded looters with their loot and damaged bicycles. They bought some bags of rice and sugar very cheaply and headed home. Pow Nee thanked the good Lord that by this time, they have a good supply of food that would last them for quite some time.

Japanese soldiers on bicycles and in trucks entered Bukit Mertajam town. They appeared wild and fierce.. Soon they roamed the town and kampungs terrorizing the people, takingaway watches, pens, and valuables and even molesting ladies. Penang island was bombed and many people were killed. By that time our family were in Machang Bubok for almost a month. By 31st January 1942, Peninsula Malaya was in the hands of the Japanese.

Pow Nee recalled:

“A number of troublemakers were arrested by the Kempeitai, Japan Military Police, and they were tortured. A few died and at least one was beheaded and the head was laid at a road junction to terrorize people. The situation in B.M. town was soon under control. A police force was established by the Japanese Army, comprising of former Policemen under Japanese supervision. They occupied the former B.M. police stations. Civil Administration and Civil Court were also established to deal with civil matters. However the overall control of the country was under the Japanese Military Police, the Kempeitai (the military police arm of the Imperial Japanese Army from 1881 to 1945) and the Japanese civilian secret police force, Tokko, (which was the Japanese acronym of Tokubetsu Koto Keisatsu (”Special Higher Police”) part of the Interior Ministry) a merciless and brutal organization, terrorizing the whole country.

Unfortunately, quite a number of local people were recruited and they were more treacherous than the Japanese. They were all out for the anti-Japanese movements and members of Kuomintang, supporters of Gen. Chiang Kai Shek who was fighting against the Japanese Army in China. Even members of Secret Societies did not escape their campaign. Many local people were caught. They were imprisoned , tortured or put to death. The drive against these people was so intense; many people young and old fled into the jungle to join the Anti-Japanese Organization.”

Pow Nee recalled that in B.M. town, some of the atrocities were committed by the Japanese organizations in public places, the District Officer’s quarters, Poh Heng Seah Building in Low Chee Road. Some victims were hung up by their thumbs and used as punching bags; some were given water treatment, i.e., gallons of water were forced into their stomachs through their mouths; many died. On one occasion, hundreds of people of B.M. town were forced into the B.M. Amusement Park and kept there for many days and nights without food or water. These people were punished because someone laid boulders along the B.M./Kedah railway line. Those locals who failed or forgot to “kirei” or bow before a Japanese sentry would be slapped and kicked!

The Japanese authority soon issued their paper money, the Japanese currency, the only legal tender permissible. My father recalled that they were ordered to convert their Malayan money to the Japanese currency; the exchange rate was a dollar for a dollar. But gradually, the exchange rate was more in favour for Malayan dollars; in early 1945 the black market rate for a Malayan dollar was about three hundred Japanese dollars.

Meanwhile, living conditions got worse. Everyone lived in fear. Food was getting scarce and very expensive, especially rice. Trading in foodstuffs and medicine were done in black market. Many people lived on potatoes and tapioca. “Thank God we also had wheat broth or buboh gandom and tinned food,” my father recalled.

Forced by circumstances, Pow Nee – working closely with Rev. Father Teng –transacted in trading of rice, clothing, medicine and tyres for trucks – all very risky; penalty if caught would be the death. They were successful in a number of transactions, thus bringing great relief to the Church orphans and Pow Nee’s family. However they had to stop this lucrative trade because of the great risk involved.

Pow Nee then ventured into pig rearing and poultry farming.He also planted potatoes and other vegetables in his plantation in Kampung Baru for own consumption and pig feeding.It was real hard work, with encouragement from Rev. Father Teng and Pow Nee’s two sisters and their old and faithful gardener, “Ah Yew Pak.” Although Pow Nee owned more than 9 acres of coconut land, they could not do what they like with the coconuts. The nuts must be sold to the Japanese agents dealing in coconuts. With the help of an agent friend, Pow Nee hid many of the coconuts in ditches for own needs. Then, at an appropriate time, these coconuts were secretly taken away for making coconut oil and for pig and poultry feeds. He also had to cycle to neighbouring kampungs to buy banana stumps to supplement the animal feeds.

Everyone at home worked very hard in order to survive. Sister Pow Nyong (ah chook) scraped and squeezed out the coconut milk to make coconut oil, cooked the animal feeds and fed the animals. Sister Pow Kim (ah Kim) sliced the banana stumpsand chopped the potatoes and potato leaves for the animal feeds. Yee Phor (Rose Foo) was always busy in the kitchen.

Once a week, Pow Nee had to be with the “Ji-kay dan” unit, patrolling the streets from 6pm to 6am. To supplement his income, he also worked in the B.M. gambling park every alternate nights. And to supplement his income, Pow Nee also worked in the B.M. gambling park every alternate nights. In order to escape from the Japanese forced Labour Force, Pow Nee joined Yew Low Sin Motor-Repairing Workshop – working six days a week – assisting Japanese motor repair workshop NISSAN in B.M. and Butterworth, servicing Japanese Military motor vehicles. Workmen were poorly paid but were given food rations of rice, sugar, cigarettes and sometimes clothing and bread.