Author: CHUNG Yoon Ngan
Date: 01-06-12 08:07
My Family in the British Colonial Malaya - 1858 to 1960 (5)
094. Chin Kon Loy surrenders - 1952
Better to die young, worn out
Than to get old, decaying.
From the book "...AND THE RAIN MY DRINK"
By Dr, Han Suyin (韓素音)
--------------------------------------------------------------
Without food and constantly harassed by the British in large groups hunting
for them the Hill People had to move camps from place to place. Many of
them could not stand the hardship and surrendered to the British who rewarded
them handsomely for surrendering plus bonuses for the weapons they took
with them. In other words the British were paying them to come out from
the jungle. They were then sent to the camps specially established for surrendered
Hill People. In there they were re-educated and each one of them was trained
with a trade, like carpentry, hair dressing etc, preparing themselves to
be a good citizen when the Emergency was over.
Several months had lapsed and the long curfew on the rubber plantations
was lifted. People were going back tapping rubber. The British used "Voice
Aircraft"[1A] calling the Hill People to surrender. One day in the morning,
rubber tappers heard the "Voice Aircraft" calling for Chin Kon Loy (陳官
來 the adopted brother of Father) to surrender explaining to him that it
was not his war and the government promised to send him back to Taiwan.
Several weeks later, with the permission from Zeng Gengyou (曾庚友), the
leader of the Hill People in Kinta District, Kon Loy picked up a "Safe Conduct
Leaflet" and came out from the jungle and walked into the Pusing police
station and surrendered. Zeng Gengyou did not allow him to take his weapons
along. Father went to the Batu Gajah police station to see him. Eventually,
as promised, the British repatriated Kon Loy to Taiwan.
Actually, it was Father, who told his business partner, Huang Renan, the
story of Kon Loy. Huang Renan was the leader of the Pusing Home Guards and
he had strong connection with the police chief in Batu Gajah. Huang Renan
related the story of kon Loy to the police chief who the told the story
to his boss in Ipoh. Thus the British used the "Voice Aircraft" to tell
Kon Loy to surrender.
When Kon Loy returned home in Taiwan he was shocked to find that his wife,
Chong Siew Lan (張秀蘭), had already remarried to another man. Why she did
not wait for Kon Loy to return home?. According to Chong Siew Lan it was
a mistake made by the Japanese Colonial Authorities in Malaya. Before the
end of the war the Japanese Authorities told his wife that Kon Loy was kidnapped
and killed by the Communists in Malaya. Siew Lan thought that it was much
easier to bring up the two boys by Kon Loy with another man. So she remarried
and had a boy and a girl by the second husband. Seeing Kon Loy came home
in one piece Siew Lan had a great shock. It was more than 10 years since
he conscripted by the Japanese into the Japanese Imperial Army. All the
time she thought that Kon Loy was killed in Malaya. The poor woman did not
know what to do with two husbands. His two sons were amazed to find their
long lost father alive and well.
The last time Father heard from Kon Loy was that his two sons were living
with him. He took up the profession of raising ducks. His wife was still
married to her new husband.
[1A]
A "Voice Aircraft" was a small airplane carrying a recorded message flying
low over the rubber plantations or the jungle playing the recorded message
to the Hill People explaining to them why they had to surrender and the
Government would not punish them but promise to give every surrendered a
new life. The voice, usually a surrendered Hill Person calling his comrades
to come out from the jungle to surrender for a better life, was very loud
and easily could be heard by people working or hiding in the jungle.
Posted to Overseas Chinese Forum at asiawind.com
By CHUNG Yoon-Ngan (鄭永元)
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