 Three days after the Japanese had taken Penang Island, the prison superintendent approached Koon-Teck and informed him that almost 50 young English soldiers between 18 and 20 years of age, together with a few British residents from Penang Hill who had not heard of the invasion, were squeezed together in the prison, had not eaten in three days, and were dying.Koon-Teck approached the Japanese lieutenant whom he had handed over the island to, and pleaded their case.Koon-Teck was allowed to feed them and this he did out of the stores of food in the godowns controlled by his men.