Eighty years ago, the Japanese military invaded Malaya and bombed Penang. This is the fourth instalment of my five-part stories to commemorate this sad occasion. It is quite safe to say that many families in Penang, if not all, were affected by the atrocities. I know that mine were displaced. On my maternal side, my grandparents fled to the hills, the chau huan that I had mentioned in Part 2. My paternal grandparents probably did the same too and they never really recovered after the Occupation was over. My father continued with his education at Penang Free School after the War but because of the pressing economic circumstances, he had to quit within the year to find work and support the family (at that time comprising his parents and a sister.) Such sacrifices were not uncommon as the local population tried everything to rebuild.
So far, we know that by 16 December 1941, the British had completed their evacuation from Penang: over four successive nights, they quietly removed their civilians and military garrison by train or ship down to Port Swettenham and eventually, Singapore.
Few people knew what happened on the island in the days between that evacuation process and the arrival of the Japanese. Six years later in 1947, not too long after the Japanese Occupation days were over, The Straits Times carried an account of those three days which was written by Oh Kee Tiang, a member of the "D" (Chinese) Company of the Penang and Province Wellesley Volunteer Corps who was there to help restore order in a town where law and order had ceased to exist.
PANDEMONIUM, chaos and lawlessness were rampant when Penang, for the first time in her history, became an open town six years ago today, on Dec 17, 1941. It was an experience few who went through it will ever forget.
In the little village of Ayer Itam, nestling at the foot of Penang Hill, 80 member of "D" (Chinese) Company of the 3rd Battalion, Straits Settlements Volunteer Force (Penang and Province Wellesley Volunteer Corps), under the command of Lieut Lim Koon Teck (now Crown Counsel, Singapore) formed a special volunteer police force to give security to 80,000 evacuees during those hectic days.
Assisted by members of the Medical Auxiliary Service, including a few doctors, Air Raid Wardens under Group Warden Khor Ewe Kin (recently commended by the Governor of the Malayan Union) and local Defence Corps, they patrolled the village and outlying areas throughout the day and night, keeping a strict vigil against looting and pillaging.
The decision of this gallant band of volunteer workers who accepted the task of restoring order out of chaos when the whole population was running riot without a government, was the result of a conference by members of the Chinese Company with Lieut Lim Koon Teck at the semi-deployment camp, Telok Bahang, on the morning of Dec 17.
Before the evacuation of the European members of the Battalion, "D" (Chinese) Coy, was fallen in at the camp at about 2pm on Dec 16.
Officer Commanding the Company, Capt Pooley, then gave the last order of the day. The Battalion was moving over to the mainland to do "rear guard" action down to Singapore. But the Commanding Officer, Lt-Col EA de Buriatte, had secured the option for the Company to stay back if they wished, no provisions having been made by the authorities to look after the dependents of volunteers.
"If you come with us, you may win greater glory. But there is no dishonour in staying back," were the words of Capt Pooley. One officer from "D" (Chinese) Coy went down to Singapore with the Battalion. He was Lieut Lim Chiam Ghee who has been missing ever since.
The rest of the Company, under the command of Lieut Lim Koon Teck, were instructed to act as a military police force for the maintenance of law and order. They were told to report to the Chief Police Office at the new racecourse, Batu Gantong, the next morning in "full fighting order."
That night Lieut Lim Koon Teck and a platoon of men patrolled the town in a lorry.
"At 8am, I left Telok Bahang Camp with 25 men in one available lorry to report to the CPO at New Racecourse as instructed," wrote Lieut Lim on Dec 17, 1941. "When we arrived at the racecourse camp, no one was to be found. We went to the Indian Association and the new Police Headquarters to look for him, but in vain."
The town was deserted save for looters. Bombs were still falling. Lieut Lim left the men and returned to Telok Bahang where the remainder of the Company were still awaiting orders.
He told the men that the CPO could not be found.
A conference was held in the dining shed and a unanimous decision to go to Ayer Itam, as this area contained the largest part of the population of Penang, was reached.
At 11.30am that day, 25 men under Lieut Lim occupied the Ayer Itam Police Station. The rest of the men went along in whatever transport was available.
Ayer Itam village was in chaos. Every house right up to the interior of Paya Terubong was filled with evacuees. The Dispersal Camp at Thean Teik Estate had more refugees than it could shelter. There was no law or order. All public services were disrupted. Shops were closed and barricaded for fear of looters. Rifle shots were heard at night. The streets were strewn with refuse that had not been swept.
Armed patrols were soon organised. With arm bands bearing the letters "C.P.", they went around the village and outlying areas continuously throughout the 24 hours of the day and night, keeping a strict vigil for looters.
Discarded arms at the Chinese Recreation Club were collected. Armed guards were placed at the water reservoir at Ayer Itam, the petrol dump at Jelutong and the rice godowns at Kampong Bharu, to prevent them from being looted.
Field kitchens were established where kanji was distributed to the destitute and homeless.
Mr Lim Cheng Ean, a prominent local Chinese lawyer, joined the force as adviser. He was in charge of rice-rationing (sold at 45 cents a gantang) and price control, particularly of foodstuffs.
With the return of confidence shops re-opened. Vegetable gardeners brought their produce to sell. Street stalls mushroomed overnight and lined both sides of the road.
Road cleaners returned to work. Sanitation and anti-malarial work were resumed.
In the meantime a public meeting of residents of Penang was called at the Francis Light School and the outcome of that meeting was the appointment of a Committee, named the Penang Service Committee, to take charge of the town and organise the various essential services.
Headed by Mr M Saravanamuttu, editor of the Straits Echo, the Committee included seven doctors and two Europeans.
The Committee got in touch with Lieut Lim at Ayer Itam and an agreement was reached to co-operate to maintain peace in Penang.
Bombing was still going on and the Committee hoisted the White Flag at the hospital and the Residency to indicate that Penang was now an open town. The Union Jack at the Flagstaff was hauled down and the White Flag hoisted in its place.
Mr AS Willwebber was put in charge of the Volunteers Police Force in the town area, comprising ex-volunteers, air raid wardens, LDC, etc.
A sub-committee was appointed to take measures to safeguard the health of the town, and resume town cleaning and nightsoil removal.
A post office was opened at the Chinese Convent School, Dato Kramat Road, for delivery of letters to those who called there between 10am and noon daily.
An express delivery service for telegrams within Penang was also opened, and a daily hand printed bulletin was issued by the Committee.
Rice-distribution centres were established at Pulau Tikus toddy shop, Jelutong toddy shop, Balik Pulau and Tanjong Bungah. Those who could afford to pay were entitled to purchase one gantang of rice at 45 cents. Cooked rice was given to those who could not pay for their rice.
With the help of the emergency electric plant at the General Hospital, the Penang Wireless Society transmitter was put in operation and from 9am to noon on Dec 19, the following appeal was put on the air at regular frequent intervals:
This is Penang calling on ZHJ on 49.3 metres. This is Penang calling the Japanese Headquarters in Malaya. Penang is an open town. There are no armed forces nor any defence whatever in Penang. The British have evacuated Penang. Please stop bombing Penang. Please reply on the 38 megacycle band by telephony or morse.
No reply was received. But at 10am that day, pamphlets asking the public to keep order were dropped by Jap planes. In the meantime, interned Japs who had been released from the prison utilised Dato Kramat ground to write a message in Japanese with white textiles for Japanese airmen to see.
At 4pm that same day, the first Japanese troops landed in Penang.
The Committee insisted that the Union Jack at the top of the flagstaff at Fort Cornwallis should be hauled down. I told the Committee that that should be the task of the Japanese when they occupied the island but the Committee to a man insisted that it constituted a danger and that it was the cause of the continued bombing. They assumed that it was my duty as Chairman of the Committee to do it but when I called for volunteers to accompany me, not one came forward! So I got one of my staff, a sub-editor by the name of RS Gopal, to keep me company as I drove through the bombed area to the Fort. It was an eerie experience with dead bodies strewn about on the streets and buildings blazing on all sides. When we got to the Fort, we found that the Union Jack had been sewn on to the rope of the flagstaff and could not be hauled down. So poor Gopal had to climb the rope ladder to the top and cut the flag free from the rope.
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