When the cold storages were set up in Sibu, many girls were called up to be part timers as well as full timers. Salaries were of course minimum and they were not organized by any union.
My school mates were eager to do part time work to earn a little extra for their parents, so during the weekends and even the afternoons they worked for the companies.
Most of them suffered from swollen fingers after a while because they developed some allergies to the prawn shells. In later life they spent quite a lot for medical treatment and also special skin creams.
The lucky ones were picked by the guys at the management level to marry and soon they ended their education to become towkay neos.
So every time I shell my own fresh prawns I would think of those girls who worked so hard for the cold storage. Truth be told I seldom eat fresh prawns as they are quite hard to come by. and I do try not to eat frozen prawns especially when fresh prawns can be obtained.
Sibu cold storages continue to do a thriving business, exporting frozen shelled prawns.
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