WW2 was a terrible time and some were able to adjust and get on better than others. This interview excerpt and set of links to an oral interview provides other perspectives of World War 2 worth exploring.

1. Interview Excerpts
I quite liked lifeduringthe Japanese “hand”. I worked in a Rubber Factory in Pasir Panjangas a Mandur
(supervisor in Malay) and was given free rice,food and a salary.Wemade tyre tubes at the factory but after
the war, I lostmy job and had to return to the farmto work. Duringthe Japanese Occupation,we had our own
farm and always had enough food to eat duringthe JapaneseOccupation.Every time I worked hard,I received
extra rice.I could also collectricewith my Identity Card. I was given an army band for easy travellingand
grandpa once used it to go to town by bicycleto buy provisionsas therewas no name on the band. It was a
great privilege.That’s why I likethose days duringthe Japanese Occupation.
One day, a man who collects human waste in buckets accidently slipped and spilled some ‘shit’at the entrance
of a sentry post. People asked who did it and I was one of those who refused to reveal the culprit.For this,I
was slapped very hard in the face and I became partially deaf on the left ear. I didn’t want to reveal the
culprit’s identity becausethe poor man could have been killed.
Interviewee: Mr Kwek Keng Tee (1924-20 Jan 2009)
Mr Kwek was born in 1924 and had a family of 5. They lived in the Pasir PanjangArea and had only very basic
Primary School education.
His family comprised of his parents,Keng Tee and two younger brothers. His grandparents also lived in the
same village.His grandmother looked after the family farm whilehis grandfather ran a coffee stall business
near the beach oppositeTiger Balm Garden. Duringthe battle of Singapore,the family had to leave the Pasir
Panajngarea to look for a safeplaceto stay becauseof the battles.They lived in a pigsty at their firststop at
Holland Road.Fortunately, a shopkeeper atthe Tang/Orchard area took them in although they were not
related.
Duringthe Japanese Occupation, Mr Kwek worked in a rubber factor managed by the Japanesearmy. His
family was ableto have sufficientfood becauseas a worker in the Japanese company, he received extra
rations of riceand was rewarded occasionally with cigarettes and sugar.He did not have to eat tapioca like
others livingin Syonan-To.His grandfather narrowly escaped twice duringthe war. He was ableto recover
from injuries sustained after being hitby a stray bomb and was also captured for selling‘smuggled’goods by
the Japanese but was fortunately released. After the war,Mr Kwek ran a logisticscompany and eventually
became the director of the company.
Interviewer: Ms Janet Kwek.
Janet is Mr Kwek’s daughter. The interview was done in Hainanesewith occasional words in Malay or English.
Interview Date 15 October 2002.
About the interview
The interview project was done by a Ms Janet Kwek, a primary school teacher who was doing an Advanced
Diploma in Primary School Social Studies.Her tutor was Dr Kevin Blackburn who supervised the project. Dr
Kevin Blackburn is a lecturer atthe National Instituteof Education in Singapore which trains teachers.
References:
www.hsse.nie.edu.sg/staff/blackburn/oral_historyyoungchineseJapOccup.doc
Life duringthe JapaneseOccupation:Food campaigns:
http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_1223_2008-12-05.html