WW2 : My Father, His Cast Net and River Prawns

 My father was a keen fisherman who used the cast net or jala most of the time.

According to a grand uncle my father as the eldest son would always make sure that he helped his father increase the food on the table by fishing. So from a very young age, he tried his best to perfect his net casting. As children growing up by the river side, we were always touched by his ability to bring back a pail of freshly caught fish or prawns. And he and my mother would cook a good meal for us.

His sisters remembered him and his cast net fondly especially during the Japanese Occupation. He would cast his net when the tide was high and come home with a bucket of river prawns. The night harvest of river prawns would keep the sisters and brothers happily waiting for the night snack. that made their grandparents extremely happy. 

Unfortunately Great Grandfather Tiong King Kee passed away during the Japanese Occupation leaving behind Great Grandmother who was very much saddened. The grand children were also saddened by a second blow when Grandmother Wong passed away.

Hoon Ngang was always available at home in the Hua Hong Ice Factory quarters and Great Grandmother would quickly have the stove boing. Soon bowls would be taken out and the hoon ngang softened waiting the river prawns to be simply boiled in the pot.

The siblings and great grandmother would have a good snack.

My seventh aunt (Aunt Chiew) reminisced from time to time that she missed those river prawns or udang galah my father used to catch for them during those post war years before she went to Singapore to study. She was in the first batch of Methodist Secondary School in 1949.

It was good that in those long ago days the Rajang was able to provide lots of free food for men who were hard working and able to throw a good cast net.

My father cast his net, from the banks of the Rajang at Pulau Kerto at Hua Hong Ice Factory jetty, from the Japanese Occupation and throughout the post war years, until he moved to Sibu town in 1956.

We thanked God for his Providence.