Author’s Note: This article has been edited for clarity and readability. It is based on interview sessions with Uncle Sarvaes, whose oral history offers a deeply personal account of life during World War II. These stories are part of a broader tapestry of individual, community and collective memory, reflecting the Japanese Occupation’s profound and lasting impact on our local history. Readers are encouraged to approach these accounts with respect and an understanding of their historical and cultural significance. Photo credit: Maitree.
“I HAVE WAITED a long time to tell my story,” said Sarvaesvaran Navaratnam, affectionately known as Uncle Sarvaes, as he sat across from me at the dining table. His eyes have a glimmer—unexpected, perhaps for a 92-year-old man—that somehow made me feel alive. There is a gentle command in his voice and presence, inviting any willing listener into a moment that many cannot, and will not speak of—the harrowing, traumatic experiences of being one of the last survivors of the Japanese Occupation of Malaya.
