Landlady and Tenants

A landlady let out rooms probably for only 50 dollars. And in those 60's era, most families lived together in one single room. so a big house in Bukit Assek or Kung Ping Road could be home to may be even up to 7 families.

The Kak Koh Chuo of Bukit Assek was one of the most famous rental houses in Sibu in that era. However due to the great demand for accomodation in Sibu town, many of the first floor of shop houses were renovated and small rooms created to be sub let to families who needed to work in some of the shops.

Accomodation was so short that many were willing to work in shops as  shop assistants. They in fact slept on top of the glass cabinets in the various shops or on canvas beds along the first floor corridors. Some climbed up to the attics which had only enough space for boxes and for some workers to lie down.

The Landlady would collect rent at the beginning of the month. However the poorer tenants would pay at the end of the month. Some tenants owe up to three months of rents. Those were difficult days.

Some landladies were "sub renters" meaning they risked renting a house from a landlord and then sub rented the rooms to others, so that she herself could live rent free. But she would have the hassle of collecting rents. But it was a kind of enterprise for her. Many landladies also became the head of mahjong playing by opening three or four tables in the living room. she thus collected a certain fee from the players.