Gary Lit shares late father’s story in ‘If the Sky were to Fall’ April 29, 2022 – Posted in: In The News, Reviews

Intan Maizura Ahmad Kamal

RETIRED academic and visiting professor, Gary Lit Ying Loong, better known as Gary Lit, presents the memoirs of his late father in his latest book, If The Sky Were To Fall, which offers a stark account of key historical events through the eyes of an ordinary citizen living in the Kinta Valley, Perak, during the wars of the 1940s and 1950s.

Set against the backdrop of the most turbulent period of Malayan history, Lit shares the stories that he himself had gleaned from his beloved father, Lit Kam Chong, who was born in 1929 in Malaya. Kam Chong had lived through the injustices of the colonial British administration, the atrocities of wartime Japanese occupation, the ensuing turbulent “Emergency” war period, the unsettled post-colonial aftermath, and the subsequent economic stability and prosperity.

Shares the author: “My father had survived the brutalities at the hands of the Japanese, challenges of living in the unforgiving Malayan jungle, the daily curfews and restrictions in concentration camps called San Chun or ‘New Village’, the harassment by the communist guerrillas and the turbulence of the post-colonial years.”

The book, a labour of love dedicated not only to his late parents (including his mother, Chew Yoke Cheng) but also the innocent villagers of San Chun, exposes the myths and mysteries surrounding this period, whilst attempting to offer us a better understanding of the subterranean forces shaping the people and country — then and now.

“I had to wait for three events to come to pass before I could publish my father’s memoir,” confides Lit, elaborating: “The first was that the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) laid down its arms, and the second, the death of its leader, Chin Peng. The third was the passing of father.”

HIDDEN TRUTHS

Almost immediately after World War 2 (WW2), the British fought a long “Emergency” war against the communist guerrilla who had helped them to fight against the Japanese earlier. This book details the gruesome atrocities suffered by the people of Malaya under the Japanese Occupation during World War 2WW2.

It also unveils the reasons behind the rise of communism among the young and old Malayans, and goes on to highlight the lack of appreciation by the British for the subtleties and complexities involved in the various issues facing the people.

In this decade-long war, the innocent people of Malaya bore the brunt of the sufferings. More than half a million of them were forcibly relocated, with neither proper notice nor compensation, into double-barbed wired concentration camps called New Villages (San Chun).

As we journey on with the author, we get a glimpse into the heavy-handed surveillance and restrictions adopted by the British as well as the resistance towards, and rejection of, this totalising disciplinary project by the villagers. We learn about how they were confronted and contended with the unfair and unconscionable classification, normalisation and reformation into “docile” subjects.

By interrogating the official narrative, this memoir reveals the hidden truths, tensions and dilemmas involved. It attempts to give voice to the dislocated, dispossessed and discontented, attending to, at the same time, the neglected, subjugated and persecuted caught up in this turbulent historical era.

The title of this suspense-filled book, If The Sky Were To Fall, explains Lit, was taken from a Chinese idiom — Thin tit lok lay dong pei kum. It was commonly used by the Cantonese folks living in Kinta Valley during and after the war.

Literally translated, it means that if the sky were to fall, we shall use it as a comforter. It reflects the unflappable and indomitable attitude of the people then. It also resonates with the spirit of unyielding resilience and undying optimism of the society, which in turn, helped them to overcome daunting challenges and difficulties.

Writes Andrew Loke, Brother-Director of LaSallian Brothers in his review: “The juxtaposition of hope and tenacity against despair and despondency, as well as the personal anecdotes against the national narrative is cleverly illustrated throughout. This book has the suspense and subterfuge of a thriller; yet, it’s a relaxing read.”

Asked what the author hopes to achieve with this outing, Lit replies, tone laced with poignancy: “It’s my fervent hope that, regardless of race or religion, the younger generations, especially Malaysians and Singaporeans, will remember the sacrifices as they forge ahead to build a better future together.” (New Straits Times, 24 April 2022)

“If The Sky Were To Fall…“ is now available at Areca Books.