In the row of shops on the main street of Simpang Renggam, two ancient wooden shophouses stood out among numerous cement shophouses. Within the wooden shophouse on the left, charcoal ash could be seen floating in the air, alongside with the raucous ringing of hammering iron and sparks flying. Sometimes the ironsmith Mr Lee Sek Seng could be heard playing the erhu or singing folk songs. This is Sang Lee Ironsmith, ran by master Lee with about 60 years of experience, forging sharp and durable knives for the townspeople, as well as playing melodious music on the erhu. His shop name implies prosperity from making iron knives with unrivalled sharpness therefore being the king of shops, such is his expectations when setting up shop. The rustic original interior and furnishings are well maintained over the decades, the mottled plank walls bearing witness to master Lee’s toil in life.
The smithing process is tedious, involving hammering the iron into shape in front of a forge blazing at high temperatures, therefore the prerequisite of being an ironsmith is good physical strength. 75-year-old master Lee is as fit as a fiddle, conversing in a lively manner, playing the erhu or singing during his free time to relieve stress. Master Lee is born in China, following in his father’s footsteps to make a living at Malaysia in 1958, picking up the trade of ironsmithing together with his elder brother. After serving eight years of apprenticeship, he set up his own shop when he was 25 years old, having market foresight to settle down in Simpang Renggam where the fast-growing local agricultural sector brought upon demands for iron tools.
Common tools which master Lee forged include palm harvesting sickles and curved rubber tapping knives. Coincidental with the advance of pineapple plantation in Simpang Renggam, he tailor-made three types of special tools to suit workers’ requirements —— long knives for slashing the tapered pineapple tree leaves, short knives for harvesting pineapples, and bullet-shaped digging tools for planting pineapple shoots. According to the workers’ description and requirements, master Lee manufactured lightweight and suitable tools so that they could perform their duties with ease. These special tools attracted workers from neighbouring regions such as Pekan Nanas who purposely came to purchase.
Music is an inseparable part of master Lee’s life, be it erhu or singing, he never gave up pursuing his interests. He learnt the basics of erhu from his father, and actively joined the Chinese orchestra organized by Simpang Renggam Welfare and Sports Association. Even though the orchestra inevitably disbanded due to constant loss of members, master Lee keep on practicing. Concurrently he is one of the founders of the Simpang Renggam Song Club. Passionate about singing, he sings Hakka folk songs inspired by those sang by hometown neighbours during his childhood. Being without opportunity to receive professional guidance, he attempts his own adaptations, showing his passion.
Mastery in ironsmithing and music is not gained overnight, but through experience acquired over the years. Master Lee’s attitude towards life is full of enthusiasm and patience, consistently learning and improving himself. The clang of hammer striking iron, sentimental erhu melodies, and canorous folk songs harmonize together in the symphony of master Lee’s life.
Text: Daniel Lim & Pua Hui Wen
有你 UNI Production
Producer : Mok Yii Chek
Coordinator : Daniel Lim
Cinematographer : Amelia Lim / Evon Pang
Video Editor : Evon Pang
Production Assistant : Michael Lerk
Music : Moondrops
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