COMPLETION REPORTMemories of Japanese Occupation in a Chinese Fishing Village:
A Case Study of Gertak Sanggul in Penang, Malaysia
Ms. Tan Ai BoayLecturer
Institute of Chinese Studies, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman
The purposes of the research are to record and revisit the memories of Japanese Occupation inMalaya, by study the historical materials and oral history in Gertak Sanggul, Penang, Malaysia:
The research archive the objectives in the proposal. I am very appreciate the grant provided bySumitomo Foundation which help me to:1) Carried out the cemetery project in the village2) Household survey in the village.
3) Find out more epigraphical materials durian Japanese Occupation in Malaysia
4) Interview the related persons in Malaysia and China.
5) Sharing the findings in International Conference.
The Findings of the research are including:1) The pupils compel to attend Japanese languages school during that period. Some of the intellectual,
especially Kuomintang supporters tortured by the Japanese army.
2) The villagers hid in mountain at the beginning of the arrival of the army. Later, they might went
back to village lived as normal life. For instance, rebuild the temple in the village.
3) More historical materials during Japanese Occupation have been found in Penang. For instance, thetombs in Cemetery of Gertak Sanggul, and receipts of burial in Hokkien Cemetery in town.
The grant inspired me to pay more attention of the historical sources founded in Malaysia during theJapanese Occupation. In August 2016, the village that I studied raged by the fire and the eight historicalhouses destroyed in the fire. In 2015, the household survey had took the photo and recorded the cultureelements in the household which burned by fire later. As a new academic staff in the University, thegrant also gave me confidence to carry out such research in the future.
Publication of the Results of Research Project:
Verbal Presentation (Date, Venue, Name of Conference, Title of Presentation, Presenter, etc.)
1) Tan Ai Boay, “Unforgotten identity: The study of Chinese cemetery in Gertak Sanggul, Penang,Malaysia.” Paper presented at 2016 The International Union of Anthropological and Ethnological
Science (IUAES) Inter Congress--World Anthropologies and Privatization of Knowledge:
Engaging Anthropologic in Public, organised by IUAES, Dubrovnik, Croatia:Hotel Dubrovnik
Palace, 4th – 9th May 2016.
2) Tan Ai Boay, “Malay and Burmese Minorities in Chinese Predominantly Fishing Village”,
IUAES Inter-Congress 2015 Re-imagining Anthropological and Sociological Boundaries,
Bangkok: Thammasat University, 15-17 July 2015.

Thesis (Name of Journal and its Date, Title and Author of Thesis, etc.)
1) Tan Ai Boay, “Good Women” and “Bad Women” – Perception of Local Chinese Women
towards Chinese women from China in Gertak Sanggul, Penang, Malaysia”, Asian Education andDevelopment Studies (Scopus) (under reviewed)
2) Tan Ai Boay, “Rethink Hakka Study in Penang – The study of Taipekong Belief and HailufengCommunity”, Southeast Asian Affairs (CSSCI) (Under reviewed)
Book (Publisher and Date of the Book, Title and Author of the Book, etc.)
1) Tan Ai Boay, “Temple, Gods and Spirit Medium – The Inheritance of Transformation of Chinese
Traditional Religions in Gertak Sanggul, Penang, Malaysia”, will be published by Chinese
Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing in December 2016.