One can imagine in the past, people resting in benches, and discussing about the deeds of this man.
As a citizen born just before Singapore became a nation in 1965, I could not relate to the person in the tomb I am staring at now.
I have read in the ST news archive that on 4 Feb 1957, 100 cars followed the hearse of this person when he was going to Bukit Brown Cemetery to be buried.
100 cars ! He was a bus owner, why was he so beloved by the people?
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Born in 1880 in Kinmen, Tay came to Singapore when he was 16 years old. He started work as a general worker in a trading firm, earning 2 dollars per month, making a total of $24 a year.
Out of the $2, he saved $1.50 to be sent back to his home in Kinmen and $0.50 for his monthly allowance.
You may wonder in those days (1896) how you can survive on $0.50 a month ?
At that time, the meals, transport, housing was provided by his employer, the $0.50 was used for the the occasional luxury of aerated water, or some porridge at outside stalls.
2 bowls of porridge would cost only 1 copper coin, and 1 cent was equivalent to 4 copper coins. Hence 50 cents was big money in those days.
After working for more than 10 years, Tay has accumulated enough savings to start his own small trading firm, dealing with salted fish.
Soon, because of his diligence and trustworthiness, he could expanding his trading business to more Indonesian seafood produce, mainly dealing with salted fish and fish produce.
In 1938, a smart Tay noticed the inadequacy of our local transportation system, and hence started the Tay Koh Yat Bus Company. It would become the largest bus operator during its heyday
among the 10 other bus companies.
At that time, Tay Koh Yat has more than 120 buses, which is around 1/4 of the Chinese buses
But Tay Koh Yat is remembered for another thing other than buses, for his efforts against the Japanese before and after the war.
Yes, for he was a hot blooded fellow, a patriotic citizen that our nation has seldom seen, fighting against the Japanese invaders that conquered our country from 1942 to 1945.
Just before the Japanese forces invaded Singapore, Tay Koh Kat formed a civil self defence force, himself as the chief, controlling 20,000 people
Everyday before the Japanese came, he would go to his civil self defence force HQ, saying 20,000 people, but one heart, he was hoping that the 20,000 people would ensure the safety and stability of Singapore, in order for the British forces to concentrate to fight the invaders.
It was this civil defence forces that helped to maintain the situation and prevent chaos just prior to the Japanese invasion. there was no rioting and widespread chaos at that time due to the civil defence forces commanded by Tay
Besides the 20,000 defence forces, Tay also organized a 2000 strong rescue team, especially for those people who were injured by the Japanese air raids.
Even when the Japanese forces came nearer and nearer and many people were fleeing the country, Tay stood his ground, his defence forces keeping the harmony, and his rescue forces saving people.
Only at the eve when Singapore was about to fall did he realized all was lost, and he escaped to Indonesia and met up with Tan Kah Kee there.
Both Tay Koh Yat and Tan Kah Kee were high up on the Japanese wanted list at that time.
At that time, Tay had asked the colonial government for his men that if they unfortunately were to die during the course of their duties, ie these civil defence people under him should get the same compensation as the soldiers and policemen employed by the colonial government.
When the war was over, Tay immediate task was to check how many of his men were killed, as he knew the deceased family members would need help the most. He compiled a list of the dead from his 20,000 + volunteers and found out there were many who were killed and so he asked the colonial government for compensation to help the families.
The colonial government initially refused to entertain his request, but after his repeated appeal, he managed to get compensation to help the widows and their children of those brave volunteers who
died for their country
Tay next task for to form the Singapore Chinese Appeal Committee for the Japanese Massacre victims to seek justice and compensation. He formed a committee with 37 people
In March 10, 1947, his efforts to bring the war criminals bore fruit. The War tribunal committee decided to hang two of the war criminals:
Lieutenant General Kawamura Saburo, Singapore garrison commander and Lieutenant Colonel Oishi Masayuki Kempeitai commander.
They were in charge of the Sook Qing operation at that time that killed thousands of Singaporeans.
During the execution, Tay and a few other persons were invited to witness the execution of the two war criminals that bought untold misery and suffering to many Singaporeans. It was estimated that 50,000 Singaporeans had died under the Japanese’s hands.
It was said that when Tay saw the two Japanese generals about to be executed, and in a burst of anger and sadness for the 50,000 dead said:
“You have committed big sins and really deserved to die, but even when your soul descend to hell to suffer further punishment, still it is not enough to atone for your sins”
these words that Tay said in a burst of anger and sadness could still be remembered by old folks for a long time afterwards.
Everyone respected him for his efforts to help the war victims, and for his efforts to bring the criminals to justice and get compensation for the widows and children.
Epilogue
Tay was now an old man of 70. At that time there was some riots. As Tay was the MD of a newspapers, his buses were the target of arson.
One day he received a phone call that 4 young people were burning his buses near Rex Cinema. He got angry, and the old man got his driver to drive him to Rex cinema.
There he saw 2 young men burning his bus. He caught hold of one of them and said, "How dare you, burn my bus!"
But alas, he was now already 70, and whereas the rioter was a young man, so he managed to escape. There was no police at that time to help him.
ST, 4 Jan 1951
Extracted from Roots, pg 32 – 41, Tay Koh Yat and the Self Defence Force, By Ong Chan Choon
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Tay Koh Yat’s tomb is in the line of the proposed new road. The gutsy old war hero is now unable to stand up and stood his ground.
Can we all stand up then and do something for him. Can we ask the authorities to preserve his tomb for prosperity to come so that our young nation may learn of his story and what he did for our nation?
Raymond
