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Tag: survivor

  • We Didn’t Have Willing Fighters: A WWII Survivor Remembers How Singapore Fell

    We Didn’t Have Willing Fighters: A WWII Survivor Remembers How Singapore Fell

    In Mr Ishwar Lall Singh’s Yishun home, the fragments of his military past have lost their shine. A faded peak cap sits on a worn coffee table, sharing the space with long service medals, epaulettes and an old sword caked in rust. But while parts of his uniform have faded, the 87-year-old’s memories of Singapore’s fall to the Japanese remain fresh.

    (Photo: Kenneth Lim) 

    “I was a young 12-, 13-year-old boy,” Mr Ishwar said. “There was a lot of shelling and bombing, a lot of destruction of property, a lot of people being killed – I saw some dead people, with worms crawling in them. I saw that myself.”

    Mr Ishwar is a survivor of World War II and part of a group of 61 former veterans and national servicemen who share their experiences regularly with students and active servicemen, as part of a Ministry of Defence programme. Since the programme began in early 2015, the group has reached more than 12,000 individuals, including students from more than 80 schools as well as more than 8,000 people in the Singapore Armed Forces.

    “We had to queue up for a few rations of corn bread (which was) difficult to eat, rice and some vegetables,” said Mr Ishwar. “This was given on a whim and fancy – it was not a regular thing. Sometimes we queued up and waited for the ration truck to come, and it never came.”

    But for him, the Japanese Occupation was about more than going without food.

    “We lost our independence; we were not able to do what we wanted when we wanted. We lost that,” Mr Ishwar said. “The Japanese restricted us from doing quite a lot of things. For example, if you wanted to go to a cinema, there was a fear that if you went to a cinema, you may not come back.”

    According to Mr Ishwar, Japanese soldiers would pack cinema audiences into trucks at the end of the shows, driving them to Bahar in Johor.

    Mr Ishwar showing old photos from his collection. (Photo: Kenneth Lim)

    “We were under British rule, who were not actually looking after us at that time,” he said. “The Japanese were able to force themselves into Singapore because we were not willing fighters. We did not have Singaporeans who were fighting to defend their own country.”

    But Mr Ishwar was not one of them. He joined the Indian National Army in 1943. Years later, after working as a trishaw rider, storeman and laundry clerk, he joined the Singapore Volunteer Corps, known today as the People’s Defence Force.

    “We kept growing,” he said of the Singapore Armed Forces’ predecessor. “We kept getting better, we started to build camps, we had our National Day Parades, which were very obvious to show that the people were united. We realised the importance of being a free people.”

    This year marks the 75th anniversary of Singapore’s fall. And today, the father of three and grandfather of seven said his fight is against complacency, or making sure Singaporeans do not forget “the price of freedom”.

    “I am afraid that people in Singapore are not yet aware of this – partly I blame the Government,” he said wryly. “Because we have been at peace for 50 years – that’s the Government’s efficiency, the Government’s effectiveness, but this has made people (assume) that nothing is going to happen.”

    “WE WILL HAVE TO UNITE”

    While Mr Ishwar regularly shares his story as part of the engagement programme, this is only the beginning for the retired major.

    “My hope for Singapore is that it will grow, (that) it will grow peacefully, it will be allowed to grow,” he said. “We will not be bullied, we will not accept bullying – we will have to unite.”

    He said one way to do so is to ensure racial harmony truly exists in Singapore.

    “The word ‘Singaporean’ must be understood by everybody,” he said, citing weddings or festivals as one way people of different races could get to know each other better.

    “We should look at each other as that – not as Chinese, Malay or Indian. This is something we need to understand, to raise our children to think along those lines. If we can begin to understand these things, we will begin to respect each other’s religion. We will begin to respect each other’s race; we will begin to respect each other’s doings.”

    “We must always remember that a little spark in the wrong time at the wrong place can cause a lot of problems for Singaporeans,” he added. “And we don’t want that peaceful time that we’ve had for 50 years to be shattered.”

     

    Source: CNA

  • Mecca Stampede Survivor: I Was Pinned Down

    Mecca Stampede Survivor: I Was Pinned Down

    MECCA: Hamza Musa Kabir from Kano in northern Nigeria survived the massive stampede at the hajj by shedding his pilgrim’s garment after he was pinned under a man in the crush, which killed 769 people.

    Reflecting on the shocking events that unfolded on Thursday in Saudi Arabia, the 55-year-old tall, thin trader told his dramatic story to AFP’s Kano correspondent Aminu Abubakar, who also performed the pilgrimage:

    “We set off at sunrise from Muzdalifah and marched towards the Jamarat,” the place in Mina where pilgrims ritually stone the devil, Kabir recounted.

    “We were more than halfway through the procession when the road was blocked by the police, which led to buildup (of pilgrims).

    “Then the police blocked all the roads, leaving us with only one route. The situation became worse when the police allowed people returning from the Jamarat to use the same route back to their tents” where the pilgrims stay.

    “From where I stood, I could see a police officer on a raised platform at a nearby control post beckoning at pilgrims returning that they should move on.

    “Because those returning were moving in the opposite (direction) of the surging crowd, there was a stampede.

    “People became weak from suffocation and heat. People couldn’t breathe (in the crush). Many collapsed, mostly women and the old and disabled on wheelchairs.

    “I also was pinned down by this huge man I believe to be an Asian. I had to strip myself of my shroud which had become an obstacle to my escape.

    “I raised my hand and grabbed the shroud of another pilgrim from Nigeria who was already standing on a fence. He couldn’t pull me up because I was pinned down by this huge man.”

    ‘Countless bodies’ 

    In an act of desperation, Kabir grabbed the man’s testicles “and squeezed them which made him jump off me.

    “This enabled me to use my other hand to reach for the metal bar of the fence, and grab it. I then pulled myself up with the help of another young Arab man who was standing on the fence,” reaching safety inside one of the camps where Kabir then passed out.

    “I was so dizzy and weak and too weak to walk. I was spread on the floor and another pilgrim, seeing that I had regained consciousness, offered me his other shroud.

    “People offered me drink and some food. I then realised that I had been bitten (on) the side, by a young man from underneath.

    Kabir lost his backpack and most of his belongings except for a small bag around his neck.

    “I spent, like, two hours sitting down recuperating,” he said.

    “After that, I was assisted by another pilgrim from Niger to make it to the Jamarat and carry out the stoning rites.

    “What I saw on my return to the scene of the stampede frightened me, because I just saw countless bodies lying on the floor covered in white shrouds, and I knew I could have been one of them.”

    Still, he is not too frightened to return.

    “I know I will not die until the appointed hour…. Hajj is very important to my faith, and no obstacles will discourage me from seizing another opportunity to come back.”

     

    Source: http://english.astroawani.com

  • Chiam See Tong: Political Survivor

    Chiam See Tong: Political Survivor

    By Howard Lee

    The silence that overcame the crowd gathered outside Deyi Secondary School in the wee hours of 8 May 2011 consumed the night. Only the voice from the radio of a car parked outside, announcing election results, continued to drone on.

    Then someone let out an exasperated sigh. A stifled sob. Curses muttered in anger. The Singapore People’s Party had lost both Potong Pasir SMC and Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC.

    Only a few hours back, this crowd had gathered outside the counting station to support Mr Chiam See Tong, secretary-general of the SPP, in his bid for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC, jubilantly talking about his campaign and his chances. They were full of hope that his team would win the GRC.

    When the gates to the school-turned-counting centre finally opened, Chiam was standing with his team to thank the supporters. Unable to contain their emotions, the group surged forward, paying no heed to the police officers manning the gates, nor the reporters caught in the front.

    All they wanted to do was reach out to Chiam, affirm their support, shake his hand – do anything to make him feel like a champion. Chiam did not win the election, but he won their hearts.

    Any sane observer present would have immediately realised that this group did not just invest emotionally in his campaign. They were his extended family. They have invested emotionally in Chiam the man. No other Singaporean politician living today would be able to make such a claim.

    And any sane observer would ask two questions: Who is this man, and why does he have such an impact on people?

    * * * * *

    SPP team Bishan Toa Payoh GE2011
    The SPP team for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC, GE2011.
    “Let The People Have Him – Chiam See Tong: The Early Years”, written by Loke Hoe Yeong – associate fellow at the European Union Centre and assistant secretary-general of the SPP – provides an invigorating insight into the character of the man who has become the epitome of gentlemanly politics in Singapore.

    Loke traces Chiam’s early history – from his birth to his political awakening, his landmark Potong Pasir win in GE1984 and his first speech in Parliament – giving readers a much needed peek at what drives Chiam as a person and politician.

    “It was actually a rather innocuous idea that I had after GE2011,” shared Loke. “I wanted to read more about the opposition and opposition leaders, but there was no biography on Chiam. So I decided, why not do it myself? It was a labour of love, piqued by my interest as a researcher, to find balance in the narrative of our political history.”

    Suport for Chiam Deyi Sec GE2011Mild-mannered for a reason

    Indeed, the popular narrative that surrounds Chiam has been less than favourable. He lacks oomph as a Parliamentarian and public figure, preferring to take a non-confrontational approach. He was careful and mild for fear of antagonising the ruling People’s Action Party. He is an easy target for the ruling party. He is token opposition.

    However, Loke’s simple and straight-forward account of Chiam’s childhood, youth and bumbling foray into the lion’s den as a novice politician takes us out of the one-dimensional portrayal of Chiam, and presented a warm and at times humorous account of Chiam as a person.

    We learn from Chiam’s colourful childhood, from his aversion to studies to his easy-going nature and helpful personality, that his mild-mannered approach to life has always been a part of him. Loke described the instance when he won a catapult in a tree-climbing dare, but thought nothing of lending it to a friend immediately afterwards. When his friend returned it broken the next day, Chiam registered disappointment, but not anger.

    There is little wonder when Loke revealed that Chiam’s unprecedented win in the defamation lawsuit against S Danbalan, and the subsequent public apologies he received from him and Howe Yoon Chong, was not even something that Chiam thought was necessary.

    Politics for democracy, policies for the people

    Cover of “Let The People Have Him”, Epigram Books
    Cover of “Let The People Have Him”, Epigram Books
    In many ways, Chiam’s affable personality was the only constant in the constantly changing social and political environment of the 70s to 80s. Loke gave a historical account of the various policy issues that led to growing resentment against the ruling People’s Action Party, which were instrumental to Chiam winning the hearts of the people.

    Loke believes that Chiam’s story is also one about political and policy discourse in Singapore, and how a political newbie has brought an important change to how people looked at politics and policies.

    “If you look at the policy discourse leading up to the 1984 elections, there was a lot of talk about the CPF (Central Provident Fund), housing,” said Loke. “We see people reacting to the government’s policies in a way that indicated there was a rupture in the social compact. Some people call it looking at bread and butter issues, and the need for democracy was fairly abstract for people to grasp.”

    Loke recognised that Chiam struggled with getting his ideas across in his early political life. “To the ordinary people, Chiam came across as a fine chap, but they can’t see how his ideas and ideals can affect their lives.”

    But as Chiam matured as a politician and developed the Singapore Democratic Party, he was better able to strengthen the link between policy and politics. “People began to realise that the social compact was broken, and they can no longer leave it to the (PAP) politicians to run the country alone.”

    “In that sense, I believe that Chiam reinvented opposition politics in Singapore. I have the greatest respect for Barisan Sosialis and JB Jeyaretnam, but the policy manifesto of Barisan then was a little outdate, and the people then didn’t think it was realistic. They also preferred a less confrontational approach than what we had in the 50s and 60s.”

    “It was a different set of problems they faced, worrying about livelihood and rapid progress. Chiam basically reinvented the image of the opposition as people who are viable to be elected. What helped greatly was his ability to draw reference to real policy issues, and made people realise that the opposition’s voice in Parliament was necessary.”

    More to be said

    An adventurous Chaim with Lina and “Herbie”, road trip from London to Singapore.
    An adventurous Chiam with Lina and “Herbie”, on their road trip from London to Singapore. (Image from the Chiam family)
    Despite a timeline that spans decades, “Let The People Have Him” is a joyous trip of exuberance documenting Chiam’s early life, in a narrative that is extremely easy to follow.

    “This is a human story of a man who did something rather brave for his time, given the fear that hung over the many political arrests at that time,” said Loke. “I wanted to offer an idea of what drove him to go into politics, especially since it was such a high risk thing to do. His life story, family background, education background, his exposure to politics, following his father’s wishes, how he eventually found his passion – all this coloured what he sees as problems in Singapore’s history.”

    “I hope to contribute to the literature of biographies of Singapore’s politicians, pioneers who have made a difference to Singapore in different ways. I want readers to know the different facets of what happened in the past, so that they can make up their own minds (about Singapore’s history).”

    Was he concerned about his political affiliations with Chiam? Loke said that the idea of the book preceded his SPP membership, and it was actually in the course of writing the book that he learned more about the Chiams, understood and liked the SPP’s mission, and started to volunteer with the party. “I think readers can see for themselves that there is no real bias, that the book is basically a historical account of Chiam’s life.”

    There is, of course, more to come. Loke is working on his second volume, which will document Chiam’s subsequent life as a Parliamentarian and highlight some of his key speeches made.

    Nevertheless, “Let The People Have Him” offers an important, if not comprehensive, look into what motivates and forms the political mind of one of Singapore’s most recognisable political icons, but the personal approach of the book would make you believe that he is just an ordinary man.

    Ironically, it was this ordinary man who against the odds of his time, won over the people of a little constituency called Potong Pasir, and forever stole the heart of our nation.

    “Let The People Have Him – Chiam See Tong: The Early Years” is available for sale at major book stores starting today. It is also available for purchase online at Epigram Books.

    Source: www.theonlinecitizen.com/2014/10/chiam-see-tong-understanding-the-man-behind-the-politics