My father worked for the Japanese during WWII

would he be classified as a running dog or a traitor? He had no choice. Being a mechanic in his thirties (he was boss of his own business at age 20), the Japanese came and he had to do as told, and became their mechanic! I was told he was given an arm-band to show others that he is part of the Japanese administration. He had a phobia whenever he was driving a big tow-truck which had a support for the hoist which he thought could be mistaken as an anti-aircraft gun from above!

He had chances to make money because of the connection, able to use stuff raided from people but being conscientious or coward or whatever, he did not. One day, he was surprised his nephew could afford branded cigarettes and soon found out that he stole and sold some petrol from his vehicle! There was once when he was given some old bullets for disposal and he did not know what got into him when he threw them into a fire and there were sounds of explosion which caused the Japanese soldiers to scurry about, some came out naked from the bathrooms. In the commotion, one soldier used something to knock on his head which caused a huge lump. This lump on my father's head was a constant reminder of the Japanese occupation and he hated them for that. He even boycotted Japanese goods for many years but who could avoid buying them with the influx of them with brands like National, Sanyo, Datsun and Toyota? He even bought a new Honda Civic with registration 1909, the year of his birth. Who would have thought that half a century after Japanese occupation, his granddaughter (my daughter) would become an exchange student for one year in Tokyo (under Rotary Club sponsorship) and spoke Japanese with her host parents?

Just after the war, his father-in-law acted as broker suggested that he buy a piece of land for 8,000. During the uncertain period, he paid half in British currency and half in Japanese currency which was still legal tender then. Who would have thought the latter currency would become worthless? Soon after, my grandfather the broker, offered another piece to him, to which he replied, 'I cannot even look after one piece of land, how could I manage two?' This is the difference between an entrepreneur (proven when he was boss of his own business at 20) who is not ambitious and one who is. It was not a question of affordability then, but the idea of being responsible for two plots of land and I think I take after him for this preference for peace of mind. The land of this missed opportunity happened to be the one along Jalan Ipoh, now owned by the Low Yat Group! What we can see now is a 711 shop, new car dealers, banks, Old Town Kopitiam, and so on, in front of their River City condominiums. Not that we would be able to develop it had we own it.

We could not even develop our own piece of land. My second brother, who was a developer, took a lot of trouble trying to develop it. It was converted and sub-divided which was proven to be a disadvantage later because we had to surrender more than half of it for roads, drains and sewerage. It was disadvantageous in terms of tax as well as being unattractive to prospective buyers who would rather have an unconverted whole piece of land. My brother's partners had included a past President of Malaysian Institute of Surveyors, a retired Director of Lands and Mines KL and even a retired KL City Planner! So there was no lack of expertise. But what man proposes God disposes. He lived to the age of 60 only (died in 1997).
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