My family' s WWII memories of Ipoh, Malaysia

When Japan surrendered, my mother and her family returned to the mansion. There were stories that on some nights they could hear ghostly sounds of people screaming in terror and the marching of soldiers' footsteps. I am not sure of its authenticity but Ipoh folk collectively despise the Japanese for what their predecessors did during the 1940s. 

But the old days are over now and Fukuoka is one of the sister cities of Ipoh, and one of my former high school friends won a scholarship to embark on an exchange program to Fukuoka as part of a cultural exchange.

Portrait of Madam Cheng, the author’s great grandmother at 92, painted by Xu Beihong in Ipoh. [Photo provided by Jasemin]

Even though memories of the atrocities carried out by the Japanese during World War II may never leave our minds, anger begets anger. The best thing to do is learn from that experience and ensure it never happens again. Our history books in Ipoh focused on Malaysian history and we were never taught to despise the Japanese or other invaders of our country, rather we were always taught the values of forgiveness, tolerance, mutual respect and harmony. 

Those that lived through the brutal Japanese invasion harbor some sense of animosity towards the Japanese as a race. Rightly or wrongly, I cannot say. My grandmother never visited Japan so her only exposure to the Japanese was during the attack which painted her general perception of them as a whole. During the war what she saw was cruelty, brutality and evil.  But my view is that parents, educators and nurturers need to explain what happened during those times and what can be learned from it. Cultivate understanding and tolerance in a non-judgmental manner. Sincere apologies and reconciliation between all affected parties should be reached too.....for harmony. 

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