Planting Padi during Japanese Occupation

Bintangor was further away from Sibu and the resourceful Foochows who owned land there brought a lot of the the swamp areas under padi cultivation during the Japanese Occupation.

Many of the original Foochow pioneers who were led there by Ling Ming Lok, Rev Yao Shao King and my grandfather Tiong Kung Ping, were given 10 acres each by the Rajah, by agreement to start a Foochow settlement there. There were already Cantonese and Hokkiens in the area. The agreement was signed in 1922. Binatang town at that time had only one row of wooden and simple shops, probably numbering about 5 units.

Within 20 years the Foochows prospered and a few more wooden shops were built. My grandfather started the Mee Ann Rice Mill and Sawmill, while Ling Ming Lok planted rubber and fruit trees. Rev Yao was more into starting a school and church. My grandfather acquired more land for his rubber, and padi. More Foochows had also arrived from Fujian during those 20 years and villages like Tulai, Mang Kwong, Boleh Gerng,etc began to grow.

By 1942, it was remarkable that away from the prying eyes of the Japanese, the Foochows and Ibans were able to plant and harvest rice, thus supporting the population to a certain extent. 

In fact according to Foochow historian, Lau Tze Cheng, the Japanese had a padi programme, which required the Chinese to grow rice. They exacted a heavy tax on the harvest. In retaliation many Foochows managed to smuggle a part of their produce by sending  small bags of padi by boat at night. A few oral accounts were recorded, including one from my maternal uncle, Lau Pang Hung who risked his life to transport grains to a hidden storage house by boat. He was only 15 years old at that time.

Those who planted rice without suppression especially the Ibans from the Japanese had enough rice to eat. Those with bigger families and lived nearer Sibu, suffered from lack of rice. The various rice mills which were operating then had to pay a rice tax to the Occupation army. Many Ibans came to mill their rice in Binatang and sold their rice to the Japanese who were quite willing to pay good money.

The resulting shortage of rice was the order the of the day. Many families had to supplement their diet with  tapioca, wild yams, sago and what ever food they could forage from the jungle. The Japanese however did not suppress the Malays and the Ibans.

This photo was taken in the UK. My father visited his 4th brother who
was studying in the UK.

                         My 4th uncle was the tallest of the Chang brothers,almost 6 foot tall.                                                         He worked the hardest during the Japanese Occupation, planting rice.

My grandfather was very resilient and was able to feed his family well. He continued to run his rice milling business in Binatang and had labourers to plant rice, on a share basis.

My uncles planted padi and experienced the hard life of rice planters. Their legs soaked in mud for hours throughout the planting season caused severe swelling and pain. My 4th uncle expecially suffered from swollen legs because he was just a teenager then. The long hours he had to spend on planting wet padi gave him a lot of health problems. But luckily after the war, he was able to further his studies in Singapore and the UK and finally becoming an engineer.

How he must have suffered during the 3 years 8 months of Japanese Occupation. 

But Grandfather was farsighted because he made sure that his family was away from the watchful eyes of the Japanese. During the planting season, the daughters and sons lived in the rice farm house along the Meradong River. 

The girls reared chickens and ducks and cooked for the boys and some workers. Their Chinese New Year in Binatang saw quite a big feast!! My aunt said that during the Japanese Occupation all of them became extremely dark due to the long hours they had to work under the sun.

My aunt remembers that they had three good crops of rice and they were never short of white rice to eat. But it was hard for them. They were in the sun and rain most of the time. They had to look for vegetables in the jungle and they had to paddle their small boat to obtain rice husk from the rice meal for the farm animals.

Another aunt said that life in those days made the siblings bond extremely well.