Revisiting Our Nation's Darkest Hours
The sign at the waiting area reads 'CREDIT CARDS ARE RESPECTFULLY DECLINED; OLD PICTURE POSTCARDS WELCOMED'. Together with a jumble of vintage Penang photographs on the wall, I am instantly aware that Dr Chua Hock Khoon is very much into collecting historical items. His sister, who also doubles up as the receptionist, ushers me into the office. 'The doctor is with a patient right now. Please make yourself at home. You may want to look through some things he has left you,' she tells me while pointing to a pile of brown Manila envelopes. Before she leaves I ask her about the curious sign. 'My brother loves old postcards and photographs more than money. At times, his patients would bring him rare items in exchange for his dental services,' she tells me with a chuckle.
Dr Chua has been running his dental surgery clinic in Lebuh Pantai for the past 37 years. I first met him while attending the World Stamp Exhibition in Singapore in 1995. Back then I was just starting to learn about postal history and Dr Chua was an exhibitor. He had just won a Gold award for his Japanese Occupation exhibit. I still remember that day clearly. He could hardly contain his excitement having gained international recognition for his pet interest. Despite his busy schedule, he took time to patiently explain the finer points of collecting that soon set me on the path towards learning more about one of the darkest chapters in our nation's history.
At first glance, Dr Chua's office is an organized jumble of books and storage containers mixed with wads of recently acquired material. I start with the top most packet which turns out to be a collection of envelopes and post cards used during the time leading up to the Japanese invasion. Of particular interest are the patriotic slogans used to cancel the stamps. Among the more commonly used ones were 'V for Victory', 'Save for Victory, War Savings Certificates' and 'Patriotic Fund Preserves Freedom of Malaya'. I particularly like the slogan 'Don't Write About Ships'. I guess the British Administrators back then were particularly worried about locals unwittingly divulging the location of naval assets in their letters which would often be intercepted by enemy spies during the tumultuous years of between 1939 and 1941.
Dr Chua steps in just as I am about to start on the second stack of materials. 'Looking through my things eh?' he asks jokingly. 'Did you find anything interesting?' I merely smile and nod my head. I am at a loss for words as the priceless gems I have in front of me are irreplaceable records of our nation's history.
'We have a few minutes. I am waiting for the anesthetic to kick in before I can extract my patient's wisdom tooth. After that you have to be on your own until my break time in an hour. So, let's get started and not waste any more time,' he tells me before sitting down.
The next fifteen minutes turns out to be a brief and yet comprehensive history lesson for me. The Japanese Imperial Army attacked Kelantan just after midnight on 8 December 1941. Looking at me in a serious manner, Dr Chua tells me that the date is very significant. 'We were hit BEFORE the attack on Pearl Harbor began! Can you imagine that?'
Coupled with another set of landings at Pattani and Songkhla in Thailand, the two groups consisting mainly of bicycle infantry began their move south. Commonwealth defenses set up in anticipation of the attacks were no match for the Japanese military prowess. One by one the British, Indian and Australian bastions gave way leaving behind valuable supplies which were then utilized by the Japanese to bolster their war efforts. Aided by relentless aerial bombardments, the Japanese forces made quick work of reaching Johor Bahru by the end of January 1941. Two weeks later, on 15 February 1942, Singapore fell. All of Malaya had been conquered in just a little more than two months.
The Japanese Army quickly established a military government and swiftly brought their style of law and order to the country. Their first objective was to ferret out all dissidents and pro-British supporters. For the first few months of the occupation, mass screenings or 'Sook Ching' were conducted. 'The Japanese forces had informers who wore gunny sacks over their heads to protect their identities. The fates of those standing in line are sealed the moment the informer points a finger at them. Hundreds if not thousands of innocent civilians were taken away in trucks, never to be seen by their loved ones again,' Dr Chua tells me grimly before revealing the gruesome end awaiting those poor souls. 'Most of those taken away were shot in cold blood and buried in mass unmarked graves throughout the country.'
I spend the rest of my time looking at the treasure trove of materials after the doctor returns to his patient. The remaining packages weaves a spell binding tale about how the postal services developed during the Japanese era. During the first few months of the occupation, post offices or 'Yubin Kyoku' in the Japanese language allowed pre-war stamps to be used. Later, the remaining stocks were manually hand stamped with military seals beginning with the double framed chops. Later on, romanized words bearing the words 'DAI NIPPON' were over printed on them. Towards the end of the occupation, the Japanese government held various competitions to encourage the public to come up with designs for new stamp issues. These stamps featured local Malayan industries considered important to the Japanese economy such tin dredging and rubber tapping.
Mail sent during the Japanese Occupation had to undergo censorship. The post offices had a special department empowered to open letters and censor their contents. These envelopes were then resealed with either pieces of official censorship labels or with a special crimping machine. Other postal regulations were also strictly enforced. All mail without the proper sender's address would not be delivered.
The past one hour has given me the rare opportunity to peek into some aspects of the Japanese Occupation in Malaya. I just cannot imagine the atrocities and hardship felt by the general population during that time. Even my own maternal grandmother was affected. As a child I have often wondered why she sleeps in her sarong kebaya and not change into pyjamas like everyone else. Later, my mother told me that my grandmother was very traumatized during the war. In those uncertain days, her family had to be ready for emergencies. They slept with their day time clothes so that they could make a dash for safety under the cover of darkness. 'She still retains that fear until today and refuses to change into her pyjamas. She is still worried the Japanese soldiers might barge in at any moment,' my mother told me many years ago when I asked her about my grandmother's peculiar sleeping habit.
'Let's go for some beef noodles. I am feeling rather famished,' Dr Chua suggests to me after seeing off his patient. I accept his offer
after hearing him praise his favourite stall in Lebuh Carnarvon. We get into his car and join the heavy George Town traffic. Then, just as we are about to reach the end of Lebuh Pantai, the car comes to an abrupt stop. The doctor who is usually calm and composed becomes visibly excited. 'I just remembered that I need to show you something,' he tells me after safely parking his Camry.
He leads me to the junction of Lebuh Pantai and Lebuh Armenian. At first I thought he wanted to me to see the famous 'Little Children on a Bicycle' mural nearby. As always, there is long line of tourists waiting patiently for their opportunity to be photographed with Ernest Zacharevic's most famous masterpiece in Penang.
'No. No. Not that. Look here,' says Dr Chua as he asks me to look in the opposite direction. 'This is the only remaining Japanese Occupation road sign in Penang. Can you see the katakana letters on it? It says Armenian Street in Japanese,' he remarks while pointing to a foot long piece of weather beaten wood nailed to the wall. I just wonder why the state authorities are not doing anything to help preserve such important historical pieces in Penang.
The beef noodles at Kafe White Coffee are sumptuous. Half way through the meal, Dr Chua receives a call from one of his runners asking to come over to show him a recent discovery. Fifteen minutes later, a young gentleman appears with a book in his hands. The doctor takes some time to scrutinize the contents and then a wad of RM50 notes exchanges hands.
Obviously he is very happy with his purchase. 'Look at this mark,' he points to a violet hand stamp on the front cover. 'It's the chop of the MPAJA EX-SERVICE COMRADE ASSOCIATION. The Malayan People's Anti-Japanese Army helped to liberate Malaya from the Japanese. This accounting book may prove that the fighters were ready to integrate back into society when they agreed to give up arms. However, fate has it that they decided instead to fight the British and become known in history as communist terrorists. The Malayan Emergency is my new area of interest. Come and visit me next year and I will have things related to another dark chapter of our nation's history to share with you,' Dr Chua looks at me excitedly as I finish the last spoonful of soup.
My friend and I are just about half way through our retail therapy at Harbour City when we come across ALMA Portuguese grill. We look at each other and the same thought crosses our minds. We have been planning to hop over to Macau the next day just to sample some authentic Portuguese food. After weighing the pros and cons, we decide to walk in. If the food taste as good as they look in the menu then we can skip the planned day trip. We are filled with excitement at the prospect of getting an additional day to explore Hong Kong.
Clams bulhao pato is distinctively Portuguese dish having being named after the 19th century poet Raimundo António de Bulhão Pato. The poet was said to have enjoyed his food and often wrote about these molluscs in his work. These fresh and fragrant shellfish are best enjoyed by adding a bit of the lemon and herb mixture from the bottom of the pot. I am as happy a clam by the time I finally reach the bottom.
We end our meal with the baked duck rice with chorizo. While the chorizo slices are seen at the surface, I have to dig deep to find the tender duck pieces in the midst of the baked yellow rice. The slightly curled chorizo is a good indication that the dish has been cooked perfectly. My friend and I finish the last grains from the circular baking dish and we are glad we decided to eat here. Having crossed Portuguese food from our list and saving at least 10 hours of our time, we can now make time to visit the fishing village in Lantau Island that would have been otherwise omitted.
ALMA Portuguese Grill
Relaxing with great views of Victoria Harbour.
