Yong Kow 杨扣 : Biography of Yong Kow

He was born in China and came over to Sarawak via Singapore in 1911 at the age 17 years. He boarded a steamship s.s. “Tsingtao” at Swatow and arrived at after a week’s journey. It was a passenger and cargo vessel, and it was most fortunate that the boat was free of infectious disease and was allowed to enter Singapore harbour for discharging passengers and cargoes. He stayed in Singapore for 3 days and then proceeded to Kuching by another streamship s.s. “Raja of Sarawak”. The trip from Singapore to Kuching took 3 days.

On arrival in Kuching, he was permitted to disembark and accommodated at a Chinese hotel, which was next door to a Police station in Carpenter Street. He noticed at the back of the Police\Station was a big stable with a number of horses which, he later came to know was a big stable with a number of horses which, he later came to know were owned by the late Rajah Charles Brooke. In front of this stable was a big and deep well which, at one time, he was told, supplied drinking water to the Kuching town people before the installation of piped water from Matang.After a short sojourn in Kuching, he was employed in a pepper garden at the 17^th Mile at 18 cts per day.

After a year as pepper planter, he left and went up to Bau to work in the Gold Mine owned by the Borneo Company Limited. He was employed by the Company as a skilled labourer at 50 cts per day and worked for some years with the Company, and was in receipt of 80 cts per day when the Company closed down in 1917. Bau was, at that time, a small rural town, but was a hive of activities due to the operation of the Gold Mine Company.

Whilst he was in Bau, he know a District Officer by the name Owen “tuah” who was nice and kind to him. He also worked as part-time gardener for this officer. When the Gold Mine Company was paying off their labour force, the manager told them to look for job elsewhere. He approached Mr Owen “tuah” and told him that that the Gold Mine Company was going bankrupt and was closing down for good, and that he would be out of job. He then asked Mr Owen if he could help him to get a job in Kuching. The District Officer Mr Owen was very sympathetic and gave a letter of recommendation to Captain Law who was the Director of Public Works in Kuching. Before Mr Owen gave him the letter of recommendation, he had already contacted Captain Law and spoke about this matter by telephone. When he arrived in Kuching, he went to see Captain Law who looked over him and remarked: “Yong Kow, you were such a small-built man and what could you do as a contractor”? He assured the Director of Public Works Captain Law that although he was small-sized, he was Jack of all trades, strong and hardworking, having done a lot of various and miscellaneous works in the Gold Mine Company at Bau. His reply seemed to satisfy the Director of Public Works, who gave him a job as P.W.D. contractor to construct a road at 9^th Mile Matang Road to Lundu. This road was later diverted as Buso as the Rajah considered it was expensive to cut through a high hill, for the road to Lundu.

There were a number of contractors besides him employed on the construction of the Buso Road. After the completion of this road, he was given another PWD contract to construct the Batu Kawa road. Those days road construction was a tough job which required vigorous laborers who could face all kinds of hardship and difficulties encountered in the course of the construction. They had only “parang” and “changkoi” as their implement for the work, hacking their way through the jungle and leveling and digging drains with these means. The road reached the bank of the Sarawak River opposite the Batu Kawa Bazaar in 1922, and the Director of Public Works was pleased with the whole undertaking done by him. The next stage was to metal the road with granite, and this was done by employing bullock-carts carrying the stone from the Mile Quarry to the road, He had the good fortune of working under Sekawi who was Clerk-of-Works in charge of the construction of the Batu Kawa Road. Abang was later transferred to Miri to take charge of the Public Works Department under the Resident Fourth Division.

After the completion of the Batu Kawa Road, the Director of Public Works had another big project, i.e. the building of a Power Station for Kuching Town. The site chosen was a swampy land in front of Ban Hock Lane. This Sarawak swamp emptied its water to the River through a stream which was spanned by two wooden bridges: one connected Kho Hun Yang street with Kling (now India) street, and the other Ban Hock Wharf and Main Bazaar, and had to be reclaimed. This area was also a dumping ground for the town garbage. He was given the contract to fill up this swamp with earth which was obtained from Bukit Mata Kuching 5^th Mile Penrissen Road. The earth to be obtained from Bukit Mata Kuching was at foot of the hill which went right into Sarawak River. He was to curve the earth from foot of this hill and put it on a “tongkang” and rowed it to the swamp which was one mile upriver. After cutting off this foot of the hill, a road was built from the B.C.L. office to Pandungan. Before this, all traffic to Padungan had to go by the hillroad which was quite high. The earth from the 5^th Mile was transported down by railway. After the swamp was reclaimed, he was given the job of pilling the foundation of the Power Station and construction of concrete posts for the Station. During the course of his employment on this project, the Director of Public Works asked him if he would like to go Miri to do some contracts for Government there. The Director told him there were a number of contractors in Miri but they were all employed by the Sarawak Oilfields Limited, and that the Resident had difficulties of getting a contractor to do contract works for the Government. It appeared that the P.W.D. Clerk-of-Works Abang Sekawi, who was working with him on the Batu Kawa Road, recommend to the Resident, Miri, his name. He accepted the offer of coming to Miri to work as Government contractor.

He came to Miri by the “Adeh” with his wife in 1922, and they had no children at that time. On arrival in Miri, he reported to the Resident Mr Owen “mudah” who was the younger brother of Mr Owen “tuah”. Miri was a small outstation town with about 70 shophouses and private houses scattered about. There was an epidemic of beri-beri sickness in Miri and many people had died of this disease. The Medical Department advised all the people living in Miri to take coarse and unpolished rice. The coarse rice was a little smelly but when washed properly and cooked it was not bad for human consumption. This coarse rice and green peas taken by the people had arrested the disease, and after a year or so there was practically no beri-beri patient.

In 1923 there was an ugly incident in Miri, which took the lives of about 30 people. The trouble started when a Chinese took a Javanese girl, who had a husband, to see movies. The jealous husband took a “parang” and went into the cinema and slashed his wife’s lover. This man was badly wounded and brought to the Police station. However, the Chinese laborers gathered together and formed a big crowd at the Police station entrance. They demanded to see the wounded man, but were told by the Police Officer that it was not necessary as the Government would deal with this matter. They were not satisfied and stoned at the officers, and one of whom was hit by a stone on the head and bled. The Police and Rangers then opened fire with rifles on the crowd, and about 30 people were then dispersed, and the wounded were brought to the hospital for treatment.

His first contract given by the government was the construction of the Kubu Road, and later followed with the constructions of 30-doors Police and Rangers barracks and the Kuala Baram lighthouse. The old lighthouse was almost washed away into the sea, and had, therefore, to be immediately dismantled and the instruments, etc were sent to Tanjong Jerijeh at Rejang where another lighthouse to be erected. The lighthouse at Kuala Baram is 130 ft high and was built 2000 ft inland. After completion of all Government contracts, there was nothing more to be done but the Resident was sympathetic and gave him a minor work contract of clearing drains and road verges at Kampong Wireless at $180/ - p.m. in order to tide him over during the slack period. After waiting for some months for new Government contracts, nothing was forthcoming, so he asked the Resident if he could recommend him to do some contracts for the Sarawak Oilfield Limited. The Resident gladly obliged and gave him a letter of recommendation to the General Manager of S.O.L., which were of no importance and of little pecuniary profits. However for some weeks he had been watching the construction of Slipway No.2, which had been going on for 6-7 months without much progress. The General Manager Major Richard was quite down hearted and vexed at the inability of the S.O.P contractors for not able to complete the slipway as scheduled.

One day he took courage and went to the Office of the General Manager Major Richard and told him that he wanted 1000 guni-bags. Major Richard shouted at him and asked why and what he wanted these guni-bags for. He told the General Manager not to get angry and explained his reasons. After hearing his explanation, the G.M. told him: “Yong Kow, you have something there”. Major Richard then called for his storekeeper and ordered him to issue immediately 1000 guni bags to him. These bags were duly filled up with earth and brought to Slipway No.2 by his laborers who placed them on the required site. When the Slipway was filled with water and then went dry, all the guni-bags with earth were left intact. The General Manager Major Richard was very pleased when he saw this, and went to look for him personally at the brick Kiln. The General Manager told him of the result and asked “Yon Kow, where did you learn this idea and where were you educated?” He told Major Richard he had very little education but this was the way how the Chinese in China kept water and earth erosion under control; so the problem in Slipway No.2 had been solved. Major Richard was then in good mood and told him that from today I would help you. The next S.O.L. contract assigned to him was the construction of the Pujut-Lutong Road approximately 5 miles from Pujut. This road was completed within 6 months and followed the oil pipe-line from Pujut. Major Richard that he would not lose money until the road reached the distance of 13,000 ft because the land there was very low and needed considerable amount of earth filling. Major Richard took note of this. When the General Manager saw how the Chinese laborers emptying the water by bucket system on the construction site, he was really surprised to see the speed how the buckets were handled in throwing out the water. He told the General Manager that motor pump could not beat this way of emptying water because motor pump was liable to break down and it took time to repair. The method used in China was better and wasted no time. Major Richard agreed that this primitive method was practical and good for use under the present circumstances. He was also given the contract to construct the rail way line from Pujut to Sungai Liku, which was approximately 6-7 miles.

In 1925/26 the Oil Company decided to drill an oil well at Riam which is about 24 miles from Miri. The Management wanted this road to be completed as soon as possible in order to send up boiler and other heavy equipment, etc. to the drilling site, for immediate operation. Mr Toon was in charger of the construction of this road, and recommend that Yong Kow recruited his labor force from China, as it was considered that Chinese laborers were good in using “changkol” for earth work in construction road. As a consequence of this project, he recruited about 350 laborers from Swatow, China, who were duly put to work on the construction of the Riam Road which was completed on scheduled time. Unfortunately the drilling for the oil in Riam was a failure. He had a large labor force under his control and was warned by the Company Management in 1929 that in view of the world recession, the Company would have to curtail all expenditure and cancel all major projects, so there would be no construction work to be carried out in the future. He had in hand a big surplus of men in his labor force, so he quickly approached the Resident who was then Mr Alpine and told him of this problem. At that time all land as far as Baram was under S.O.L. concession, and Government could not approve any application for land to anyone along the newly constructed Riam Road without the Company’s approval. However, since it was urgent to settle down some of the laborers on the land in order that they could be engaged on planting vegetable, pepper and other cash crop as soon as they were discharged from his labor force, the Resident told him to go ahead with his plans and that the necessary approval from the Company could be obtained later on. This was how the gardens at Riam Road were first established. He also encouraged some of his redundant laborers to go to Sibuti and Niah where the land was fertile for planting, to start pepper garden and when it started bearing pepper, they could repay him for the money, etc. advanced to them. In this way the problem of unemployment during the slump was solved in respect of surplus laborers of contractors in Miri.

In 1933, the S.O.L. Management decided to explore oil at Matading in Mukah district, so he was asked by the Company to recruit the necessary labor force to proceed there in order to construct roads, bridges, staff quarters, office building, etc. It was a very extensive operation which went as far as the ulu Balingian but the search for oil in these fields was a failure. It was a really a great disappointment to the Sarawak Oilfields Limited as well as to him, as he was looking forward to a bright and prosperous future. In 1934 the Sarawak Oilfields Limited also decided to explore oil in Jedurong in Brunei State, and he was asked to send 60 laborers with the necessary heavy equipment to build 4 miles of road to the drilling site, bridges, labor quarters, office building, etc., but this field also turned out to be a failure and disappointment. Both Mukah and Jedurong fields were closed in 1937/38.

When war broke out in Europe in September, 1939, he was asked to construct foundations for emplacement of 3 naval guns to be installed at Lutong, one was a big gun and the other two were a smaller ones pointing out to the sea. A state of emergency was enforced in Miri/Lutong area and there were contingents of European gunners and Punjab soldiers besides the Police and Field Force stationed at Lutong where the Refinery was considered very important, and must be guarded and protected by all means.

The Resident, Fourth Division, was the Commander-in-Chief and the General Manager of the Sarawak Oilfields Limited was second in Command. All unused dynamite, gelinite, detonators, shotgun cartridges and others explosives were destroyed by the European Engineer and himself at the instructions of the Government and S.O.L. Some of the explosives were brought to Bakam for destruction in order not to alarm the inhabitants of Miri unduly.

In 1940 he was employed by the S.O.L. to bring food stuffs, groceries, shotguns and cartridges, etc. to Marudi where a store had been built to keep all these goods. In the event that it was necessary for the S.O.L. expatriate staffs and their families to be evacuated to the Baram at short notice, there would be enough provisions for these people to live on until the war was over, which, at that time, was estimated to last for 6 months but it turned out to last 3.5 years which resulted in many innocent people had died of sickness and malnutrition. He had also been employed by the S.O.L. to do many secret undertakings, such as lying of secret electric cable along the beach, connecting Lutong Refinery to the Residency where the Resident could blast the Refinery in case of emergency. He and a European Engineer also did the sealing of the Kuala Baram pipe-lines from Seria to Lutong. There were 3 pipe-lines conveying oil from Seria and two of these had been sealed off on one of the joints which could not be easily traced, leaving one line in function, besides this he was employed in sealing oil wells and removing all important machineries from the workshops and packing them in crates for shipment to Singapore. This was a Denial Scheme which would be put into effect as soon as war was declared in the Far East.

When news of Pearl Harbor bombing was heard on the Radio and a few days after Japanese reconnaisance plane made its appearance in Miri and Lutong, he was immediately asked to take part in destroying those heavy cranes and other facilities at the S.O.L. Slipway wharf and workshop that were considered useful to the Japanese. Three months before the bombing of Pearl Harbor, all important documents, machinery, skilled workmen, etc. had already been shipped out to Singapore. Mr Perry the General Manager stayed behind in order to ensure all Company’s staffs were paid for their salaries and wages and to make last minute arrangements for the temporary closing down of S.O.L., but unfortunately the Japanese troops came sooner than expected, i.e. on the 16^th December, 1941, and landed at Tanjong Lobang. A good number of Japanese soldiers were drowning as there was a gale that night with heavy rain. That morning he was driving his car and saw a Japanese flag with people looking like soldiers in a truck.

On arrival in the town he told some friends that Japanese troop had landed in Miri, but they all seemed to doubt. However, the Japanese soldiers blocked all cross roads and junctions, and took from the people their bicycles, motor cycles and cars as they arrived at the cross roads or junctions. It was fortunate that 3 days before the Japanese landing, Miri was declared an open town as all the Allied soldiers and Field Force had left the area. As a result not a single shot was fired, and the Japanese troops did not retaliate on the inhabitants who were all Civil Servants, S.O.L. employees and traders; in fact they were all civilian.

He was arrested by the Japanese and brought to the S.O.L. Chief Engineer’s office, which became “Kempitai” Headquarters for questioning. He was held in this office for 10 days and later transferred to the Chung Hua School in the Town where he was kept for a further 7 days for endless questioning. He told the Japanese what he knew of the “Denial Scheme” which would deprive them of oil, in which the oil wells were sealed, skilled workers and machinery taken to Singapore for the duration of the war, and besides he also mentioned that provisions, shotguns and cartridges, etc. stored in Marudi.

The Japanese were still not satisfied with all these information and kept him in custody. Since he was absent from home for more than 10 days, his wife began to worry as to what had happened to him and as to his whereabouts. Somehow she came to know that he was detained by the Japanese Military Police in Chung Hua School. She went to visit him at the school and brought food for him. The Japanese M.Ps. had no objection. After sometime in custody in the school, he suddenly thought of Mrs Suzuki could vouch for him as a respectable man and never anti-Japanese. Mrs Suzuki was sent for by the “Kemitai”. She came and talked to the Japanese Kempitai Chief. Soon after this, he was released and told to go home without further ado.

Before the bombing of Pearl Harbor, S.O.L. Management had already taken action by sending off machinery, etc. to Singapore. This operation was known to all the people of Miri, who also started to store foodstuffs, etc., built huts and temporary houses at Riam Road and Bakam, where they could be quite far away, should a surprised attack be launched by the Japanese troop on Miri. Some people also returned to Kuching as everybody knew that Miri Oilfields would be the Japanese first and foremost objective in their drive to South East Asia. As everybody had done, he also built temporary houses for his family and for friends who wanted to evacuate to Bakam in the event of invasion. This was also a good precaution to keep as far away as possible from the Japanese troop, as it was well known to the people of the cruelty and astrocities committed by the Japanese troop in “Rape of Nanking” in China, consequently many people had left the town to go inland as soon as the news of Pearl Harbor was broadcast, and the sinking of the British Battleships by the Japanese drive “Kami-Kaze” bombers off Kelantan.

He had a good amount of foodstuffs stored at Bakam where he had a sawmill, and would not be short of food for the next 3 months. However, one day a contingent of Japanese soldiers came to Bakam and started to slap and kick the people. He got a slap and ran into the bush to hide. After this commotion, he was called out and met an elderly Japanese Kusima San who told him that the Japanese Government wanted him to operate his sawmill again, and sell the sawn timber to him as representative of the Japanese Government. Kusima San wanted his sawmill to start off immediately. This was how he came to be employed by the Japanese. All sawn timber was used to build boats for use in the coastal areas. Kusima San was very influential Japanese and for the next 4 years he was employed directly under this Japanese gentleman. Had it not been for Kusima San, he would not live to this day and was under his protection all the time during the occupation. During the critical period when the Japanese was retreating into the jungle at Riam Road, many people were rounded up and shot for no reason other than being suspect a spies and pro-British. The saddest case was the execution of 28 persons who were S.O.L. and Government employees and innocent town people by the Kempitais. They were later exhumed and buried in mass grave at St. Columba’s Church grave yard. He was many times stopped by the Japanese M.Ps. on the road and when he told them that Kusima San wanted him, he was let off. On several occasion, the Kempitais were very aggressive and wanted to arrest him, and when he told them that Kusima San wanted him urgently to do some important work, they let him go. This was really a ‘touch and go’ affair, and had his bluff failed he would be amongst the 28 mentioned above.

One day he came down to Miri and had a lunch at Lucas Then’s house. After lunch he went to Krokop to look for some friends, and as was walking on the cemetery Road, someone called his name: “Yong Kow”. He thought to himself who could be calling him at this spot was a little perturbed but a friend who had been following behind pointed to the tall grass in the graveyard, so he stood still and looked around, Suddenly someone emerged from the bush and came up to him. This man embraced him and said: Couldn’t you recognize me? You and Mollen came to my house at Mukah”. Then he remembered and said: “Ya, Tuan Elam”. Both embraced each other again and had a good shakehand. Mr Elam then introduced Major Carter and Major Talbort who were well known to him, the former was ex-S.O.L. surveyor and the later ex-police officer of the Sarawak Government and other Army personnel.

He was brought to Lutong where the army had their headquarter and was served with tea and biscuits. He did not know the rank of Mr Elam, but who appeared to be a flying officer or naval officer. Anyway they enquired about Doctor Sundrum and wanted to see him urgently. Before he left Lutong for Bakam that afternoon, he warned the officers that there were still Japanese troop patrolling along the Riam Road and at the foot of Canada Hill at night, and they should not stay overnight in Miri. On his way back home to Bakam, he was stopped by a Kemputai who was looking for him because he was responsible for Kusima San’s stores which he was entrusted to look after. After more questioning, the chief Kempitai asked him whether he had heard any gunfire around Miri. He said for some weeks he had heard gunfire everyday by the Japanese troop, which was nothing unusual. If the Kempitais wanted him to go along with them he would do so and do whatever the Kempitais wanted to do. After about half an hour, the Kempitais who had 3-gold stars on his collar, said he could go away but in 10 days’ time Kusima San would see him again. He thanked his lucky star, and after having walked for some distance and out of the Kempitai’s view, he started to run for his life. Had the Kempitai made a search on him, he would have got into trouble because in his pocket were matches sticks given to him by the European soldiers at Lutong.

When he arrived at Bakam, he whispered to his wife and close friends that the Australian troop had already landed at Lutong and Brunei. He showed them the matches he got in his pocket. Everyone was happy and made arrangements to get down to Miri quietly. Dr Sundrum was very nervous and had to be carried on a bicycle. Somehow by good luck they managed to arrive at Lutong without meeting any Japanese. Mr Elam and other officers were happy to see Dr Sundrum. With the constant bombardment on Riam Road area by Australian artilary and straffing from the air by fighter bombers, the Japanese retreated further inland and went to Bakong, leaving Riam Road and coastal area free for the people to come back to Miri. As the town and many residential houses had been destroyed by Allied bombing, there was an acute shortage of accommodation; so many families shared houses together. There were also many sick people; the majority suffered malnutrition and malaria. The hospital across river had a busy time and was in charge by the military medical officer who was kind and nice to all the patients. Those suffered with malaria were given ‘Paludrin’ tablets, but those suffered more serious sickness was admitted to the hospital. Miri was under the control of British Military Civil Administration, and all the people were issued with ration cards for food. A few months after, the Japanese surrendered. There were few thousand Japanese troop and civilians in Bakong area, who did not believe that the Japanese Government had surrendered and refused to come out from the Bakong jungle. However, two Military officers from Japan flew in and went to Bakong to inform the Japanese troops who were ordered to surrendered and come out. They were interned at the Golf Course across the river and well treated by the Australian soldiers except the Kempitais who had a good thrashing from some civilians whose relatives had been killed by them. All the Japanese were repatriated a few weeks later.

There was a demand for temporary schools to be built for the boys and girls who had missed their schooling during the occupation. Approximately there were about 800 school-age children in Miri. A deputation of the British Military Civil Administration about the building of a school for these children. Lt-Colonal Black informed the deputation that this was now peace-time and the civilians had to look after themselves because the Military was leaving Miri and had nothing more to do with the people. He then approached Major Pollard because Lt-Colonal Black was about to leave and told him his plans that he would build temporary Kajang shophouses at the back of the town and let out to those who wanted to do business. The Chinese Chamber of Commerce who had a building on the spot could collect the rents for the schools and any function or fare could be held in the “Square” and gate fees collected for those poor families who suffered during the occupation. This was approved by the Administration. He did not know how much was collected by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Miri from over 40 Attap shophouses built by him.

When the Sarawak Government under Rajah Brooke took over the Administration from the Military, Major Gilbert was appointed resident, 4^th & 5^th Division. H had many arguments with this officer who had reverted to civilian status, about the land where his shipyard situated, etc. Inspite of this, they remained friends and when Mr Gilbert was appointed British Resident Brunei, who met him in Brunei town and invited him to tea at the residency. From then on he visited the Gilberts a good number of time at the house.

He was a member of the panel of jury in the coroner’s court in Miri for 4 years and had viewed many decomposed bodies which were rather revolting to him. One coroner seemed to enjoy inspecting all parts of the decomposed body in order to find out how the deceased met his death.

He was a contributor of $50/- per month to the British war effort fund in Miri, and many Miri towkays got into trouble with the Japanese for being a contributor to this fund. In order to punish the towkays for this, they were ordered to contribute substantially to the Japanese war effort fund which made some of them almost penniless after the war. He was not affected by this probe and was lucky to be left out.

The Japanese were trying to get all information in respect of those people who were volunteers and anti-Japanese elements such as boycotting Japanese goods, etc. There were collaborators who gave them all the necessary information required about Miri inhabitants who were mostly employees of S.O.L and government and merchants, who were more interested in their work and business than indulge in politic. Miri then was only a small and quiet town with people who were quite harmless and docile.

Three weeks or so after their occupation of Miri, the Japanese detected a secret wireless massage was sent out intermittently from Miri area. A contingent of Japanese troop in full battle dress surrounded the town and a group of six soldiers with fixed bayonet knocked and kicked at the door of each shop, and when it was opened they rushed in to make their search for the wireless transmitter. They could not find the secret transmitter, and appear very annoyed, the next day they found that the wireless messages were sent out from Kuala Baram lighthouse. There were two wireless operators posted at the light house under the defense scheme, and they were to inform Kuching any warships or submarines appeared at Tanjong Baram near Lutong. When the Japanese marines landed at Miri, they had not less than a dozen warships and transport, so Kuching was kept informed of what was taking place at Miri. The two wireless operators were arrested and jailed. Mr Elam asked him whether he had any news about Mr Wink who was ex-police superintendent, Miri, and came over to Suai by submarine and left the Sub. by rubber dinghy for the shore. He told Mr Elam he had heard nothing about this nor had he heard the Japanese saying anything about this lone European escapade. It was most likely that Mr Wink never reached the shore.

When all the Europeans, who were mostly government civil servants and a few merchantile people and a lone priest father Jansen, were interned at Midfield club, he sent clothing and groceries etc. to the internees and some special things for father Jansen. There were Japanese guards at the gate, and nobody had enough courage to bring the stuffs to the camp except Mr Tan Ek Guek who managed somehow to get all the things to the camp for the internees. To show one’s sympathies and kindness to Europeans, who were considered enemies, was quite dangerous during the first phase of the occupation and to say nothing of taking food and clothing to them. Mr Tan had done this several times. He saluted Mr Tan for this courageous and humanitarian deed.

There were no foodstuffs to be had or bought in Miri when the people came out of the jungle during the liberation, especially rice. On the black market local rice fetched about$10.00 Sarawak money, as nobody wanted Japanese banana money. Most of the people had no Sarawak currency except useless Japanese money and were quite desperate for their living. A deputation of the town people with him as spokeman approached Major Talbort who was officer-in-charge of British Military Civil Administration, Miri, asking for his help to get rice and sugar, etc. to alleviate the suffering and misery of the people whose home and shophouses had been bombed and burnt to the ground. He told Major Talbort that when the European officers an their friends from Brunei were interned here, he and many people in Miri sent them foods, clothing and blankets to alleviate their suffering, and hoped that something could quickly be done for the Miri people. Soon after this, Labuan sent an L.C.T. loaded with rice, sugar, flour, cigarettes, etc. for the populace. He and his colleagues were very grateful for this timely relief, as it saved many people from starving death.

His shophouses wee destroyed during the bombing of Miri. He was at that time in Miri and ran into the air raid shelter at the back of his shops which were the last ones on that row of shophouses. When the first few shophouses started burning by incendiary bombs, he wanted to rush into his shops to get his Sarawak currency notes and other valuables out to the shelter, but friends stopped him as burning of the wooden shophouses was very fast. He lost over $20,000.00 which he hid in a cavice in the wall, because it was not safe to keep his Sarawak currency money in the iron safe in the house as any time the Japanese M.P. would come and order him to open the iron safe and inspect the contents. If he had such currency in his safe, it would not be confiscated but he would get into serious trouble with the Kempitais. After the shophouses were burnt to the ground, he and his wife salvaged some gold from her jewelley which was melted into lump. He also lost over 60 bags of pepper kept in the shophouses. Had this pepper not been burnt and Kampong Daggang were 0.75 destroyed. The demand for sawn timber exceeded the supply, and there was a scarcity of wood for about a year when other sawn timber at Brunei was more acute, and with the help of Brunei Petroleum company Ltd at Seria, he acquired the Lawas sawmill and started to produce timber for the company.

Mr Higgins the Managing Director of Brunei Petroleum Company Ltd and S.O.L. sent for him and told him that since he was an old and loyal contractor to S.O.L., the management of B.P.C. would like to offer the contract of building permanent staffs’ quarters and bungalows and office buildings, etc. to replace the temporary ones that were built with Attap and round poles. The contract would run into millions of dollars, and the management of the company was prepared to give him this contract. He asked Mr Higgins for the time to think it over. After giving a considerable thought on this matter, it would be quite impossible for him to undertake such colossal project, which required expert people such as architects, engineers, artisans, skilled workers, etc. The initial outlay to recruit such people would be quite considerable and beyond his means. He told Mr Higgins that he was unable to accept this big contract, and thanked him for his kindness.

The B.S.P.C. management, however, did some good favor for him. They gave him the scrap iron of the bombed out power station at Seria, and those scrap in Miri, Seria and Murah, which was a fortune to him. Henceforth he was on his own and carried on with his scrap iron business with Singapore and Hong Kong, which was full-time enterprise. As his sawmilling business was now in sound footing, he could spare the time and visited Taiwan for pleasure trip in 1953. He was introduced to Generalisimo Chiang Kai Shek who had interview with him, and to commemorate this special event, a photograph was taken in the Generalisimo’s office (See photo Section) All overseas Chinese were very welcome to Taiwan, and invitations to visit Taiwan for the Double Ten Celebrations were always sent out to all overseas Chinese association, and the visitors were treated as V.I.Ps. by the Taiwan government.

In 1952 he and his wife paid a visit to Japan with the purpose of looking up Kusima San and some Japanese who were quite nice to them during the occupation. He met Oma San, who was Japanese Government Administrator in Miri. This man always spoke well of the Miri populace and told the Kempitais the Miri people were harmless and not anti-Japanese, but his words did not carry much weigh to the Japanese M.Ps. Through a Japanese friend, he and his wife went to Kobe to see Kusima San who was quite sick and feeble. Kusima San thanked him and his wife for coming all this way to Japan to visit an old friend. After giving Kusima San some clothings and money, he and his wife said goodbye to this old gentleman and family. As he looked back to the day when he left China many years ago to seek his fortune in South East Asia as a “Sinkeh”, he marveled at his courage to come out to this unknown land of Sarawak in Borneo, to find his livelihood and wealth. He had lived in Sarawak for 70 years, and most of his time spent in Kuching, he did not make much good but was ‘hale and hearty’ in mind, i.e. to find his fortune – no matter how hard and difficult it would take him to seek his ”Sesame” - he would persevere, determine and work hard to find his “El Dorodo”. At long last he found it in Miri in the land of “Black Gold”, after many years of hard toil and struggle. There was no easy way or short cut of getting rich and comfort without working extremely hard for these luxuries of life. He sincerely hoped that his children and grand children would remember this, emulate his example and follow his principles, i.e. perseverance, determination and hard work, in order to be successful in this life.