There was no serious trouble from anyone after that. 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. When the Japanese discovered that he was giving those prisoners more than vegetables, salt and rice – he had introduced a bit of pork bone that he got from the roadside market – they objected. Koon-Teck then went to the Penang General Hospital and discovered a Dr. Evans who had not run away when the others did. Explaining that the prisoners would not live long on the diet they had been allowed, Dr. Evans suggested adding Bovril or some other meat stock into the soup. And this worked. In their weakened state they were susceptible to disease. He then spoke to his superior, a Japanese county court judge who had been made chief judge of the Northern part of the Malayan peninsula. Koon-Teck showed him a book on international law, pointing out that prisoners-of-war should not receive the same treatment as criminals. The prisoners were then removed to Singapore, where they might receive better food and treatment, two weeks after that. When the war first started, Choong Eng-Hye who had helped Koon-Teck when the latter first arrived in Penang, asked if he could help get some diesel oil for his engines. Eng-Hye was the son of Choong Lye Hock of Hock Hin Brothers, whose family business was in rice and coconut. Instead, Koon-Teck suggested he start the engine with a little of the diesel he had left and then introduce coconut oil, which Eng-Hye had plenty of, when the engine was warm. This worked and Eng-Hye was the only one, among his rivals, who did not have a fuel problem. When the British returned to Penang, everyone, except Third Magistrate Koon-Teck, was called back to their jobs. A month or so later the British Military Police took Koon-Teck away for investigations relating to collaboration with the Japanese.