In 1942 when the Japanese started to run all the businesses in Sibu, the local Foochows, Malays and Ibans were strictly forbidden to do any free trade. As all existing trade relations were stopped and only Japanese could do any transaction regarding importing of goods and selling items, Foochow traders who dealt with Singapore trading houses felt the strain and stress of Japanese monopoly. In fact many had to over come the situation by going back to barter trading.
Furthermore only Japanese ships could ply between Singapore and Sibu.
A coupon system was started to the dismay of the locals.
It was a very restrictive kind of economy and civil society was very much affected.
Schools were closed while Japanese classes were opened . My aunts and other school going age children had the options to go to Japanese language school run in Tung Hua Secondary School while Yuk Ing Girls School was completely closed.
Only Tung Hua School was opened and those very few Chinese teachers who were selected to teach Japanese stayed on to teach. In fact some were forced to teach by the Japanese. (These teachers were forced to take up training for the teaching of Japanese language).
Classes were opened in the afternoon so many children were able to do farming or to forage for vegetables in the morning.
Mr. Tiang Kwong Poi was a an exceptional talented linguist and he was asked to teach the Japanese language in Tung Hua School. He held a degree from China and was actually a very learned man. He was to be a very good Chinese language teacher in the Methodist Secondary School from 1949 onwards.
Many (including my aunt) remember him as a very likable teacher who was kind and very knowledgeable. In fact he also taught Chinese literature and Chinese Calligraphy, besides Japanese handwriting and Oral Japanese. After three months, according to my aunt, most of the children were able to read, write and speak the Japanese language, because of the way Mr. Tiang taught them.
Students who had to board in Tung Hua School came with their own food and even kerosene stoves. Those who did not have kerosene stoves had to look for firewood at the back of the school. The students cooked their own food while studying Japanese. That was the kind of school life in those days.
My aunt remembers that they were very scared of getting sick as medical services were minimal. The Lau King Howe Hospital was taken over by the Japanese and services were given to the Japanese soldiers and personnel. Local people had to see Chinese sinseh like Methodist Pastor, Rev Yao Shao King privately and quietly. Parents would bring their sick children to see Rev Yao who would pray for them and prescribe some medication, often free of charge. Several of my relatives were treated for fever especially. Another Chinese doctor was Dr. Chiu Nai Ding, also a Methodist.
My mother then living in the rural Nang Chong area, said that it was God's will that most children were healthy. From her, I learned that in those days, coughs were treated by herbs grown in the backyard, and fevers were treated by brews made from mugwort. Most women were able to help each other by giving traditional medical advice. Luckily there was no epidemic.
My aunt went to the Japanese School with my uncle who was much younger. They considered the Japanese language school some kind of holiday school. She said that quite a large number left after one year or even six months with the excuse that they were too poor and had to do farming. But the Japanese managed to get the school going for three years. Mr. Tiang helped many students to leave school with good excuses. My aunt and uncle left the Japanese Language school and went to plant padi in the rural area to help support the big family. They were quite glad to leave the school. Today very few of her peer group can hardly remember any of the Japanese language they learned.
At that time, students from around Sibu used the Japanese run transport company bus and had to pay a few cents for their bus fares. The made in Japan bus had a short body which could seat about 12 people. (My aunt said that when the Allied Forces came to Sibu, the Japanese burnt all their vehicles before they left Sibu by boat for Kuching.)
The bus driver was a local Foochow who was a bit arrogant because he had a gainful employment. Not may men had driving license in those days. He was one of them. The license was like a kind of international driving license.
The students resented taking the bus from Sibu town to the school but they had no other choice. That bus apparently was the only bus running in Sibu at that time. Almost all other vehicles like lorries, jeeps and saloon cars were Japanese owned.
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