One of the most serious problems during the Japanese Occupation was the shortage of food. As a result of the war, it was difficult to get food from other countries. Many of us experienced hungeer. Due to food shortages such as rice, salt and sugar were controlled. Each of us were given a ration card. This was to limit the amount of food each person was able to buy. People could not get any provisions if they did not have ration cards. So, we have to queue for our ration as early as three oçlock in the morning. If we were late, we might not get anything. There was very little food, so we lived on a simple diet. Many of us grew their own food such as sweet potatoes and tapioca because it ws easy to grow them. Even in schools, we have to grow vegetables. We ate tapioca and sweet potatoes instead of rice. Many of us suffered from malnutrition, a condition caused by not eating enough food or not eatin on a blance diet, and diseases. There is also a shortage of medicine and this worsened our health. While some of us received treatmeant in hospitals, many of the other died. Due to scarcity of food, the prices of things went up evry high. Many of us could not afford to buy food.
These were the items that were sold :
Item Dec 1942 ($) Dec1944 ($)
About 600g of rice 0.50 8.20
An egg 0.10 1.25
About 600g of sugar 0.85 18
If I were those people who are rich, I would never even dare to buy anything else other than the food products mention above. I would not even buy textbooks and stationery for school to save for the amount of foodstuffs that we would need in the future.
Book : Ministry of Education, Singapore (2007) Interacting with Our World : Singapore Under Foreign
Rule. Marshall Cavendish Education
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