Australian War Memorial Photo : Japanese War Planes dropping bombs in Sibu
"Christmas Day 1941 five Japanese War planes dropped five boms in Sibu. Luckily not much damage was done," wrote Ling Kai Cheng in his memoirs, "Looking Back 5 decades".
In the paick stricken town, the government godown was looted and every one tried to carry away rice, flour and sugar. There was no control at all. The rice godown was completely looted.
Two Bitish companies were also looted.
On the 27th the Resident McPherson and the Treasurer were the last to retreat. Many of the ritish officers had already left Sibu.
At the wharf, the Resident gave instruction to Datuk Mohammed, and assitant DO Abang Seraie and Rev Ling Kai Cheng telling them that the Datuk was in charge of Sibu and that Rev Ling should protect his Chinese people.
The little boat took the Resident and the DO upstream to Kapit.
The community leaders tried their best to keep the Sibu people calm and stopped the looting.
On the 29th, many Ibans arrived in Sibu in their longboats and wanted to loot the government rice godown but Rev Ling Kai Cheng, Datuk Mohammade and the Iban leaders, Gani and Andah managed to calm the Ibans, giving each boat a sack of rice, solving the crisis.
Rev Ling also wrote that the MV Rejang was berthed at the Government Wharf at that time.
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