Chang Ta Kang : Sibu Airport 1952

The Sibu Airstrip began regular service on July 1 1952.

It made my father think of the days he, his siblings and relatives had to struggle to flatten the airstrip under the stern eyes of the Japanese. He was to walk 3 miles to the airport with the rest at 6 a.m. and returning home only at sunset. My great grandfather and grandfather would watch the river to see his return.

 My second (Tiong Siu King)  and third  (Tiong Hua King) uncles were residing in Binatang during the Japanese Occupation hence they were spared the hard labour. 

He told my mother that when he looked at the new Sibu Airport, 10 years had passed since the day he held his changkul to flatten the runway, he felt that a life time had passed by. War was a painful memory. He had suffered beatings and inprisonment. But all was fine.

The whole of Sibu town was very excited when the first plane landed on 21st May 1952. 

Not long afterwards,my father went to Singapore to do some business and he visited his sisters. It was therefore a very proud moment when he was able to fly to Singapore to see his siblings. At a later date my grandfather too took a flight to Singapore to his great delight.

It was a Dakota Plane. The Malayan Airways aircraft would leave Singapore every Tuesday , calling at Kuching Airport and then at Sibu. The flight home to Singapore was on a Saturday, to Kuching and then Singapore. And the fare was $40.00 single and the freight charged at 30 cents per kilo. But then $40 was a big sum of money too.

My Singapore aunts were very happy to be able to visit Grandfather as soon as they could fly. Aunt Lily was a teacher, wife of a musician, so was Aunt Phyllis. Aunt Maggie was a nurse, whose husband was a college lecturer. They were able to visit more often as travel time was truly cut short. From two days and two nights of sailing to just a matter of a few hours



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(My aunts Lily and Maggie arrived in Sibu)

My Grandfather and the whole family looked forward to their visits and had photos taken.

Having an airport was a great leap forward.

Source : Ho Ah Chan (Historical Facts of Sarawak)