It has been 71 years since World War II ended. Many who have fought in the War are no longer with us. I thought in this post, I will share with you a story about my grandfather as told to me by my father.
I have never met my paternal grandfather as he died before I was born. He never quite recovered from the torture he received from the “Kempeitai” (Military Police in the Japanese Army known for its ruthlessness and harsh treatments of the prisoners). During the War, my grandfather was one of the local Chinese leaders in Klang representing the Hainanese clan. Before the Japanese Army occupied Malaya, my grandfather was very active in raising funds to repatriate to China to fight against the Japanese Army. Most of the Chinese who were living in Malaya at that time donated generously as they still considered China as their home. The story has it that my grandfather approached one of the Chinese businessman in Klang who refused to give any money for repatriation to China to fight against the Japanese Army. Apparently this businessman who was known to be thrifty made some degrading remarks to my grandfather. My grandfather then responded by saying, ‘What kind of Chinese are you?” or something along the line that “You are a disgrace to the Chinese”. There is an important connection to this part of the story and I will return to it later.
When the Japanese Army occupied Malaya, they rounded up all the suspected rebels and people who were against the Japanese Army. At that time, there were many “running dogs” in Klang. “Running dogs” are local people who are willing to betray their own community so that they can get rewards (in the form of rice and other food provisions) by pointing out who the suspected rebels or anti Japanese Army were. At that time my grandfather owned a coffee shop called “Nam Chuan” which was famous for its Hainanese coffee, cake and other Hainanese delicacies. Apart from helping to raise money to repatriate to China, my grandfather was not involved in any other anti-Japanese Army activities. Be that as it may, he was arrested by the “Kempeitai” and taken to the Kempeitai’s Klang Headquarters which was just across the street from Nam Chuan coffee shop. Everyday my relatives in Nam Chuan coffee shop could hear my grandfather crying in pain due to the merciless torture inflicted onto him. They could hear him screaming my grandmother’s name and his children’s name. According to those who heard him screamed, it was really heart wrenching. Feeling helpless, my relatives approached the only local person they knew who had good connection with the Japanese Army and that was the local Chinese businessman whom my grandfather had a verbal tussell with. Apparently, my relatives gave the Chinese businessman a lot of money to secure my grandfather’s release from the Kempeitai but unfortunately, that never happened. After the War, they found out that the local Chinese businessman was the culprit who reported my grandfather to the Japanese Army. He knowingly took all of my relatives' money pretending that he could secure my grandfather's release when all the while he was the “running dog” who betrayed his own community.
It is a real irony that the person who saved my grandfather from the Kempeitai’s torture was actually a Japanese lady. She was married to a European who was in the shipping business in Port Swettenham (now known as Port Klang) at that time. Unfortunately, none of the relatives knew her actual name except to refer to her as Mrs. Van Tooren. There used to be a road in Port Klang called Jalan Van Tooren which was named after her husband. Apparently, Mrs. Van Tooren was a frequent visitor to Nam Chuan coffee shop before the War. When the Japanese Army occupied Malaya, she stopped visiting the coffee shop for whatever reason. Then, one day out of the blue, she decided to stop by Nam Chuan coffee shop for a cup of coffee and a bite. She asked the servers, “Where is the old man?” (referring to my grandfather). When they told her that he was taken away by the Kempeitai, she immediately took out a note pad and wrote on it. She tore out the page and immediately left. Not long after that incident, my grandfather was released unconditionally by the Kempeitai. Apparently, Mrs Van Tooren wrote a note in Japanese to the Kempeitai’s Commandant. In that note, she said that she know my grandfather for a very long time and had visited Nam Chuan coffee shop for many years. In all those years, she never felt that my grandfather had ill treated her. In fact my grandfather treated her so well that on her birthday, she was presented a complimentary home made cake. Therefore, she told the Commandant, “How can this man be anti-Japanese when he has treated me, a Japanese, so well?” With that note, my grandfather was released. My father and his siblings never had the chance to say “thank you” to Mrs Van Tooren personally. So, if any of Mrs Van Tooren descendant’s should read this article, on behalf of the descendants of Tan Jin Ko, I thank you for the great kindness and the compassion shown by her. Thank you and May God bless all of you.
I have never met my paternal grandfather as he died before I was born. He never quite recovered from the torture he received from the “Kempeitai” (Military Police in the Japanese Army known for its ruthlessness and harsh treatments of the prisoners). During the War, my grandfather was one of the local Chinese leaders in Klang representing the Hainanese clan. Before the Japanese Army occupied Malaya, my grandfather was very active in raising funds to repatriate to China to fight against the Japanese Army. Most of the Chinese who were living in Malaya at that time donated generously as they still considered China as their home. The story has it that my grandfather approached one of the Chinese businessman in Klang who refused to give any money for repatriation to China to fight against the Japanese Army. Apparently this businessman who was known to be thrifty made some degrading remarks to my grandfather. My grandfather then responded by saying, ‘What kind of Chinese are you?” or something along the line that “You are a disgrace to the Chinese”. There is an important connection to this part of the story and I will return to it later.
When the Japanese Army occupied Malaya, they rounded up all the suspected rebels and people who were against the Japanese Army. At that time, there were many “running dogs” in Klang. “Running dogs” are local people who are willing to betray their own community so that they can get rewards (in the form of rice and other food provisions) by pointing out who the suspected rebels or anti Japanese Army were. At that time my grandfather owned a coffee shop called “Nam Chuan” which was famous for its Hainanese coffee, cake and other Hainanese delicacies. Apart from helping to raise money to repatriate to China, my grandfather was not involved in any other anti-Japanese Army activities. Be that as it may, he was arrested by the “Kempeitai” and taken to the Kempeitai’s Klang Headquarters which was just across the street from Nam Chuan coffee shop. Everyday my relatives in Nam Chuan coffee shop could hear my grandfather crying in pain due to the merciless torture inflicted onto him. They could hear him screaming my grandmother’s name and his children’s name. According to those who heard him screamed, it was really heart wrenching. Feeling helpless, my relatives approached the only local person they knew who had good connection with the Japanese Army and that was the local Chinese businessman whom my grandfather had a verbal tussell with. Apparently, my relatives gave the Chinese businessman a lot of money to secure my grandfather’s release from the Kempeitai but unfortunately, that never happened. After the War, they found out that the local Chinese businessman was the culprit who reported my grandfather to the Japanese Army. He knowingly took all of my relatives' money pretending that he could secure my grandfather's release when all the while he was the “running dog” who betrayed his own community.
It is a real irony that the person who saved my grandfather from the Kempeitai’s torture was actually a Japanese lady. She was married to a European who was in the shipping business in Port Swettenham (now known as Port Klang) at that time. Unfortunately, none of the relatives knew her actual name except to refer to her as Mrs. Van Tooren. There used to be a road in Port Klang called Jalan Van Tooren which was named after her husband. Apparently, Mrs. Van Tooren was a frequent visitor to Nam Chuan coffee shop before the War. When the Japanese Army occupied Malaya, she stopped visiting the coffee shop for whatever reason. Then, one day out of the blue, she decided to stop by Nam Chuan coffee shop for a cup of coffee and a bite. She asked the servers, “Where is the old man?” (referring to my grandfather). When they told her that he was taken away by the Kempeitai, she immediately took out a note pad and wrote on it. She tore out the page and immediately left. Not long after that incident, my grandfather was released unconditionally by the Kempeitai. Apparently, Mrs Van Tooren wrote a note in Japanese to the Kempeitai’s Commandant. In that note, she said that she know my grandfather for a very long time and had visited Nam Chuan coffee shop for many years. In all those years, she never felt that my grandfather had ill treated her. In fact my grandfather treated her so well that on her birthday, she was presented a complimentary home made cake. Therefore, she told the Commandant, “How can this man be anti-Japanese when he has treated me, a Japanese, so well?” With that note, my grandfather was released. My father and his siblings never had the chance to say “thank you” to Mrs Van Tooren personally. So, if any of Mrs Van Tooren descendant’s should read this article, on behalf of the descendants of Tan Jin Ko, I thank you for the great kindness and the compassion shown by her. Thank you and May God bless all of you.
