Foochow community leader of Marudi Wong Kiong Ching has been made a second term Pemancha in Marudi.
He was only 4 months old when his parents brought him by sea from Fujian to join relatives in Lubok Nibong and Poyut, in the Baram.
He was fortunate to be able to go to school after the Japanese occupation. He said that during the difficult times of 3 years and 8 months of Japanese Occupation, his parents went to the Kuala Baram area to "cook sea water to make sea salt" The whole journey would take one whole week to paddle to the sea coast, cook the sea water, make salt and then paddle back to Lubok Nibong.
His parents and other Foochow parents had asked their older children to hide in Sg. Peking among the Ibans, away from the fierce Japanese. He remembers his brother who came home for a short while after more than 3 months in Sg. Peking have very long hair!!
His parents used salt to barter trade with the Ibans for rice. Thus they had rice to eat during the Japanese Occupation.
He saw only ONE Japanese during this childhood in Lubok Nibong. He was a fierce man with a loud voice and he carried a long Samurai sword. He was then about 7 years old.
Today Pemancha at age 86 has very strong and vivid memories of his days in the Baram and Sibu. He has written quite a bit about the history of Marudi. Being a teacher and headmaster, he has also trained many youths in leadership and management.
Pemancha Wong is a former student of Kwang Hua and Methodist Schools of Sibu. He is a very humble,articulate, and honest Foochow leader.
He is very helpful and kind. He was so happy to find out that I was his school junior (1962-68) although he graduated from Senior Middle Three in 1956 and was taught by the Reverend Dr. Yao Shiao Khing and Mr. Tiang Kwong Poi among many other trail blazers of early teachers in Sibu. The Methodist School in Sibu was founded in 1949.
A former school mate reminded me that the Pemancha truly keeps the Methodist School Motto, "Seek, Find and Serve"
May God bless him and his family always.
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