Heart and Soul: Daring escape from forced labour during Japanese Occupation

A sketch of the scene at the bridge, and the escape from the Japanese. Photos: Raajdip Singh Randhawa

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It was 1943. The Japanese had occupied Malaya. There was chaos everywhere. Food was scarce. The word of the Japanese was supreme: You obey or you die. They picked on able-bodied men to work for them wherever they needed forced labour.