Yap Ser Jin was almost BEHEADED by Japanese troops | THE LAST SURVIVORS

Our matches lit the gas hole, and it exploded. Oh, the Japanese soldiers rushed out

with swords and guns. My uncle was in the Anti-Japanese Army, a regimental commander. They

fought guerrilla warfare against the Japanese at night and posed as farmers selling vegetables in

the market during the day. They were gathering information. Over time, the situation became very

bad. One day, while selling vegetables, he came out and less than half an hour

later, the police came to arrest him. It was the Japanese army, not the Japanese

army first, but the local police. They arrested him and took him to the Muar

prison. Three days later, he was taken to be beheaded. His body was never found.

The police chief killed four people with guns in my shop. My father was also

a friend. I was young and didn't know how to cry. My father didn't know

how to cry. They took my father to the police station. On the third day,

we went to see him. My grandfather was there and said, 'You two, don't move,

or we'll set fire.' I heard that and hated them. I wanted revenge. Later, I

took a match and put it in my pocket. I went in. There was an

Indian-Malay driver who washed his car every morning. I saw the driver wasn't paying attention.

I don't know where the idea came from. Our matches lit the gas hole, and

it exploded. Oh, the Japanese soldiers rushed out with swords and guns. The driver hadn't

seen me yet, and I had already rushed behind the Japanese camp. There were probably

about two hundred large oil drums inside. I jumped down and killed a Japanese soldier.

There were three trucks. He took off his clothes, put on his hat, and was

about to kill someone. He told me to kneel down and help him take off

his shoes in front of everyone. The Japanese soldiers, the audience, spoke Japanese and said,

'Take off the Keros Mark Long.' I was injured but didn't cry. I didn't understand

what they were saying. I guess they thought I was a child, only six or

seven years old, and didn't understand anything. They said, 'Please forgive him, pardon him, don't

kill him.' Anyway, we fled. They retreated. Why kill? Show mercy. We retreated, why kill?

They talked for a long time. The general put down his head. At that moment,

you felt like you were going to die, leaving it to fate. I didn't know

fear. In 1950, I joined the activities. How old were you then? I must have

been around 20, maybe 19. So young, with a sense of independence and patriotism. If

my grandfather had been captured and killed by the Japanese army at that time, I

don't think I would be here. I had heard stories from my grandfather, but not

many. When my grandfather was around, he rarely told us stories. Usually, we had to

ask him, or if he passed by a certain place, he would tell us what

that place was used for by the Japanese during World War II, and that many

bodies were buried underneath. The history taught in school only tells you about the major

events and how they evolved, but we couldn't learn about the details of interpersonal conflicts

in class. After listening, I feel very fortunate. Sometimes, we don't appreciate our blessings when

we have them. But in the end, I am very grateful that we did not

experience such difficult times.