E19M, Siew Peng Wong ‘94, Wong Khye Khoon, Grandfather, 1940, Malaysia
I interviewed my father, Wong Khye Khoon, about his experiences during World War II in Malaysia. He is now 52 years old.
Q: What was it like after dark?
A: Everything was dark in the kampung (village). We only had kerosene lamps. Everyone stayed indoors, and everyone was tense. Japanese soldiers patrolled after dark. They would roam around outside the houses, “looking out” for resistance fighters.
Q: How difficult was it to find food?
A: Food was scarce. There was rationing. People were given only a small amount of rice and tapioca. People used to eat tapioca, and sweet potatoes were very scarce. Some made porridge out of rice and sweet potatoes.
Q: Were Japanese soldiers cruel?
A: They were very cruel. If there was a mass execution, the victims had to dig a community grave. Their hands were tied behind their backs, and they knelt by the edge of the grave. The samurai sword would come down on the necks, and their bodies were kicked into the community grave.
If you were caught alone, you’d be hung by the crossroads. Another form of execution was to be fed with soapy water. Their stomachs would bloat, and then the soldiers would jump on top of the stomachs, so that all the contents would come up through the mouth. If they survived, they would be kept in a tiny, dark cage for as long as the enemy wanted. The victims would squat down or sit for days without stretching. They would relieve themselves inside the cage too.
Q: What were the people forced to do?
A: They were forced to build roads, repair ships and build squatters for the Japanese.
Q: What happened to the old people who were found by the soldiers?
A: Some soldiers had compassion and would release them. But others would leave them to die of hunger.
Q: Did the enemy ever wander into the kampung in groups? If so, what did they do?
A: Well, sometimes. Some would rape young girls. They rounded up all the men and looked for suspicious characters and interrogated them. If answers were not given to their satisfaction, the victims would be slapped. If a man flinched while being slapped, he’d get more. If your friend who had been slapped fell down, you were not supposed to help him. If you helped, you’d be similarly treated.
Q: What happened to the resistance soldiers when they were caught?
A: If you were found to be a resistance fighter, you were tortured or killed. Some had their fingernails pulled out. Japanese soldiers would arrest you in the middle of the night for interrogation. If you told a lie, they’d cut your tongue out.
Q: Why did the Japanese execute people? Of what age?
A: Normally they would be middle aged. The Japanese knew that the young would be too afraid to retaliate, and the old would be too weak.
Q: Were young men drafted into the war?
A: Yes, they were drafted from around 15 years of age.
Q: Were you afraid, as a young boy, hearing the sounds of bombing and guns firing?
A: When the sirens went off, everyone went into hiding. Some went underground. I cried, and “Ah Ngan” (who is your grandmother) would try to stifle my cries.
Q: Did “Ah Ngan” and “Ayah” (your grandfather) stay up all night and worry? What did they do?
A: They stayed up all night. They were always on watch for air raids.
Q: When the war ended, Malaysians were ecstatic, but did they still feel hatred?
A: The Malaysians felt a lot of hatred at the end of the war. They started cursing at the Japanese soldiers, because they had lost a loved one or were hurt, one way or another.
Q: Were you all excited about the future?
A: After the war? Yes. When the British started to arrive in Malaysia, food was no longer scarce. There was joy, and real life began again.
Q: Did you see the Japanese soldiers withdraw? Did the people jeer at them? Did the soldiers seem embarrassed?
A: Definitely they were jeered at.
Q: Did you hear of any soldiers committed suicide in the jungle?
A: There were plenty of Japanese soldiers who committed harakiri. Some Malaysians also killed themselves during the war, out of fear.