Opposite the mini stadium in Renggam, Johor, there is a row of antique single-storey wooden shops, New Kwong Weng watch shop inconspicuously situated among them for almost nine decades. As its light blue metal shutters slowly open, various grandfather clocks, mantel clocks, and wall clocks come into sight, the regular rhythm of ticking clocks bringing peace to the mind. This historic watch shop is the...
Category: Traditional Trades
Original field stories about Malaysian craftspeople, family businesses, workshops, and traditional skills that continue across generations.
Attap Roof Weaving
Originating from Kuala Kubu Bharu dam, the 110-kilometres-long and winding Selangor River flows through Kuala Selangor into the sea. Under the blazing sun, on the riverpath along Kampung Kuantan in Kuala Selangor, Uncle Jamaluddin bin Zakaria could be seen paddling a small sampan against the tides, slowly approaching the stifling mangrove forests, starting his day’s gathering job. Two types of palm tree leaves are usually...
Sang Lee Ironsmith
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...