I was born in 1925, which meant that I was 17 years old when the Japanese Occupation began. I found work  at the Japanese Fish Association and I was in charge of tallying the fish coming in.  

Every morning, the Japanese collect all the fish in lorries and I would record what kind of fish was brought in, and the weight of the fish. Then the fish would be distributed to local markets for sale. I took up this job primarily because, in return, they provided me with a precious 2 catties (1.2kg) of fish and 1-2 catties (0.6kg - 1.2kg) of mixed vegetables every two weeks. I came from a large family, with a total of 7 brothers, along with my father and mother, making it 10 people to feed. My brothers were young and as they were at a growing age, they ate a lot. As the eldest child, it was a very difficult time for me.

​My father worked as an office clerk at the Shell Petroleum company during the Occupation, and unlike me, he received cash for his work. We lived in a flat in Victoria Street, so there was no space to grow food. 

Victoria Street with St Joseph Church in the background

Taken during 1938 - 1939

Courtesy of Roots.gov.sg (link)

​My mother would prepare the fish I brought back by steaming it, removing the bones, and then cooking the fish meat in porridge for my younger brothers. The leftover bones were utilized to prepare soup. The fish we received included a variety of types, typically ikan kembung (Indian mackerel), ikan selar (yellowtail scad), and ikan bilis (anchovies). These were the cheaper varieties. My mother would fry the ikan bilis for our meals.

Assorted fish in watery porridge

Illustrated by Julia Tay

The Fish Association was located at Middle Road. Every morning I would walk from my flat to work.  To work at the Fish Association, you had to know Japanese, enough at least to talk about fish pricing and to be able to communicate with the Japanese. Twice a week, I attended night school to learn Japanese, a language I didn't initially know. These classes were sponsored by the Japanese government and were held for the Fish Association workers so we didn’t have to pay for them.

At the Fish Association, there was a diverse mix of people working there, including Malays, Chinese, and Indians. Both men and women were employed. As part of our compensation, we received 2 catties (1.2kg) of rice every month. A lot of people went to work for the Japanese because we would get food as payment. Our payment was in the form of rice, fish, and vegetables, rather than monetary wages.