Category: Traditional Trades

At eight o’clock in the morning, trees and leaves are swaying in the gentle breeze. Hale and hearty nonagenarian Mr Ho Teck Yin steps out from his wooden cottage and walks to have breakfast at a traditional coffee shop on the main street. After his meal, he reads the newspaper which he bought along the way. When the clock strikes nine, he gets to his feet again, walking towards Teck Joo textile shop located on the ground floor of Tampin Hokkien Association building to start his day’s work.

Tampin is a uniquely positioned small town, with its main street cutting across the states of Negri Sembilan and Melaka, the borderline being a lane decorated with colorful murals. Mere steps away, business and social activities are governed by different municipalities, local residents are used to making multiple cross-state trips on a daily basis. Among them is Mr Ho, who resides in Pulau Sebang of Melaka yet his shop is in Tampin.

Teck Joo textile shop is managed by Mr Ho and his wife Madam Liew Ah Chan @ Liew Kok Moi, comprising half a shoplot filled with various textiles. The shop appearance is somewhat bleak, with the peeling paint on the signboard making it unclear. Arriving on foot, Mr Ho opens the metal shutters and lets down the wooden blinds to prevent direct sunlight exposure fading textile colors. Madam Liew, who suffers from reduced mobility thus requiring a lift from a friend, comes in later accompanied by her daughter. The old couple takes care of the shop together, chatting and joking happily, until five o’clock when they go home to rest. Such is their daily routine, enjoying old age in peace.

Mr Ho is born in Seremban, but moved to Tampin with his parents at five years old. During his youth, he worked in Singapore, where he met his wife, and decided to settle down in Tampin after getting married. Mr Ho co-founded a textile shop with a few friends, however they parted ways soon after, and he set up his own shop since 1958. Mr Ho’s father named the shop “Teck Joo”, implying ethical and fortune respectively. The early days of their start up were difficult, Mr Ho and wife had to tighten their belts to bring up eight children. During the great inflation in the 70’s, they toiled hard from dawn till night, thus managing to save up some money and lead a better life.

Teck Joo offers a range of common fabrics: plain cloth in red, white, and yellow for traditional rituals; batik for traditional Malay clothing such as baju kurung and sarung; premium suit fabrics are sought after by tailor shops. As large chain stores which offer more options at cheaper prices are established, and ready-made garments take over the clothing market, traditional textile shops in Tampin all closed down, except for Teck Joo.

Mr Ho and wife are happy-go-lucky, content to be running a small shop instead of building a business empire. Now that their children are self-sufficient, their means of making ends meet has turned into a pastime. All inventory payments are cleared, hence they are not too worried about the declining sales. The old couple even planned to contribute the fabrics to the needy after their retirement, as suggested by their son.

Over time, sweet and bitter moments in life are brewed into a cozy cup of tea. Apart from good health, Mr Ho and Madam Liew have nothing to ask for in their advanced age.

Text: Daniel Lim & Pua Hui Wen

有你 UNI Production
Producer : Daniel Lim
Cinematographer : Amelia Lim / Evon Pang / Michael Lerk
Drone : Daniel Lim
Video Editor : Michael Lerk
Copywriter : Pua Hui Wen
Music : 《The Home》 《Just A Little Hope》

COPYRIGHTS 2021 ECHINOIDEA SDN BHD

The pre-war shophouses along Jalan Raya Timur, a stone’s throw from Klang KTM Komuter Station, used to be a glorious business district on the south bank of Klang River. Several decades later, most businesses either moved out or closed down, among the few surviving is gunny sack dealer Yeo Hup Kee. The natural scent of jute permeates the immediate vicinity of the shop.

Yeo Hup Kee was founded during the golden era of Jalan Raya Timur in the 1940-50’s, during which the shophouses were fully occupied and businesses were flourishing, in stark contrast to recent years. Cracks and splinters are visible on the wooden plaque, the faded walls are laid bare by the wide-open collapsible gates, the high ceiling makes the interior appear spacious, the iron ventilation grille allows light and air to flow through. Glancing in through the unobstructed facade, orderly stacks of gunny sacks, jute rope, and jute cloth take up almost half the shop.

Gunny sacks are made from natural plant fibres, the intertwined strands give out a warm golden glow, and has a slightly coarse texture. They are reusable, recyclable, and biodegradable, which renders them eco-friendly. Gunny sacks absorb moisture, have good ventilation, and are durable, therefore widely used in agriculture and construction industries. Crops stored in gunny sacks stay fresh longer; wrapping plant roots in gunny sacks during transplanting helps conserve soil moisture, and the sacks will decompose into fertilizer; in construction, the base of column are wrapped with gunny sacks in the process of concrete curing.

Yeo Hup Kee deals with bulk purchase of used gunny sacks, which they clean, sort, and then export. The gunny sacks are mostly sourced from local cocoa processing facilities. The acquired sacks are shaken upside down to remove dust and debris. Holes need to be sewn up with jute rope. Sorting is carried out according to thickness, density, and size. The sacks are then tied up into bundles and stored away neatly.

The company’s late founder, Mr Yeo Cheng Swee, started from scratch upon emigrating to Malaya. At the beginning of his career as a second-hand goods dealer, he always travelled around on a bicycle. As the business grows, he acquired a shophouse on Jalan Raya Timur and registered a company named “Yeo Hup Kee”. Out of the 10 children brought up in the shophouse, Mr Yeo Kim Chong is the only one who succeeded his father in the business. Five decades have since passed, and with it he witnessed the ups and downs of gunny sack trading.

In the past, gunny sacks were highly sought after by grocery stores, rice wholesalers, rice millers, and the National Rice Corporation (BERNAS). Through experience, Mr Yeo Kim Chong could easily ascertain a gunny sack’s quality with just a touch. Since the 80’s, polypropylene (PP) woven bags and plastic bags gradually replaced the costlier and heftier gunny sacks as common packaging materials, currently only a handful of merchants remain in the trade. Due to the change in demands, Mr Yeo brought in PP woven bags and ton bags, adopting new strategies to build resilience.

With a flexible mindset, Mr Yeo developed his family enterprise towards a global scale by exporting gunny sacks to various countries, for instance India, Indonesia, and Thailand. Seeing that Mr Yeo has his hands full, his second daughter and son quitted their own jobs several years ago in order to help him manage the family business. Miss Yeo Yee Sim propels Yeo Hup Kee onto online platforms, broadening market reach. Cafes acquire used empty coffee bags as decoration, florists wrap bouquets in jute cloth for a rustic feel, while craftspersons weave jute ropes into baskets, rugs, and even chairs.

Due to space limitations, Mr Yeo set up a warehouse nearby for processing and storing large quantities of gunny sacks. Even so, he insisted on operating the old shophouse. Although it is tiring having to cover both sites, the shophouse is the legacy of his father, and full of fond childhood memories. Most importantly, old customers may be reassured that this store will always be around, at the same spot.

Gunny sacks pile on top of one another, Yeo Hup Kee transfers from one generation to the next, remaining at the dilapidated Jalan Raya Timur, waiting patiently for old and new friends to visit.

Text: Daniel Lim & Pua Hui Wen

有你 UNI Production
Producer : Daniel Lim
Cinematographer : Amelia Lim / Evon Pang / Michael Lerk
Drone : Daniel Lim
Video Editor : Evon Pang
Copywriter : Pua Hui Wen
Music : 《Beautiful & Inspiring Piano with Strings》

COPYRIGHTS 2021 ECHINOIDEA SDN BHD

“Red, yellow, and green longevity bowls. In the past, they are commonly seen in every household.” Mr Wong Gia Loke gives a run through as he walks among tall shelving units laden with ceramic ware. One must be extremely careful when navigating the narrow aisles, to prevent shattering piles of ceramic ware.” There are plenty of designs, that is a noir mille fleur, as well as landscape.” Famille rose ceramic ware have elaborate decorative patterns, which may look identical, yet each stroke is hand-painted by skilled craftsmen. What once was ordinary tableware back in the 1940’s-60’s, has now become highly sought-after collectibles, only available in century-old stores.

Yat Hang Trading, occupying a three-storey building on Jalan Tun H.S. Lee at Kuala Lumpur, has been in operation for more than 100 years. The building recessed beyond the five-foot walkway, giving it an unusual appearance compared with neighbouring double-storey shophouses. The extended space is utilised by employing mobile shelving units to display goods during business hours, while the vibrant graffiti walls on both sides add funky vibes. Fusion of old and new not only occurs on the shop exterior, but also the merchandise they stock: apart from traditional ceramic ware of all shapes and sizes, there are modern kitchen utensils, crockery, and cutlery.

Produced since the Eastern Han Dynasty, ceramic ware became widespread over the globe, generally used as food vessels, or appreciated as an art piece. The most in-demand being white ceramic bowls adorned with red rooster, banana leaves, and a pink peony, symbolizing diligence, success, and prosperity respectively. Rooster bowls gained popularity in Southeast Asia due to mass migration, where Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand soon started local productions. Common sizes range from five inches to eight inches in diameter. 

The founders of Yat Hang Trading were three brothers hailing from Xinhui, Guangdong in China. In the early 20th century, they arrived in Kuala Lumpur carrying bamboo baskets full of ceramic ware. Pooling resources together with relatives and friends, Yat Hang was initially established in a small shoplot near today’s Kotaraya Complex. Having operated for over 80 years, as the partners gradually retired, the company was voluntarily wound up. The next generation, Mr Wong’s father decided to reinstate the family business, thus acquiring the current premises about 30 years ago. Mr Wong and his elder sisters would help out at the shop after school, hence developing a fervent interest in ceramic ware and the underlying cultural significance.

Taking over the reins upon completing studies till now, the three Wong siblings dedicated their youth to Yat Hang, working together in handling various duties from cleaning, customer service, to accounting. The sweet fruit of their success is the expansion from merely a retail shop to include a warehouse on the second storey and a showroom on the third storey of the same building. Apart from wholesaling, Yat Hang also caters for housewarming, weddings, and elderly birthday celebrations. A complete set of traditional Chinese diningware comprises 96 pieces decorated with the same motif, including bowls, plates, chopsticks, spoons, toothpick holder, and stew pot. Whereas a Chinese tea set is made up of teapot, teacups, and a tray.

Decal transfers gradually replaced hand-painted ceramic ware since the 80’s, reducing costs while enabling mass production, however the essence of handicraft is lost. The famille rose making technique in Guangdong, with a rich history of over 300 years, was listed as an intangible cultural heritage in 2008. Formerly exported in large quantities, famille rose ceramic ware is now highly sought-after by collectors. Each piece is one of its kind, nevertheless imitation pieces are manufactured in the retro style.

The key highlight of Yat Hang is not limited to trading, but also in spreading knowledge. The eldest, Miss Wong Pooi Man, learned on the job about how customers from different cultural backgrounds have varying requirements regarding diningware, as well as playing an active part in promoting Malaysia’s multiculturalism to foreigners. She shares recipes with customers while recommending cookware, and gives them tips on proper usage and maintenance of the products. Customers are happy to gain such information, some even bring their successful dishes to share with Miss Wong, which makes her feel glad.

Dining habits change with the times, traditional ceramic ware may cease in everyday use, the underlying cultural significance may gradually be forgotten. However, at a corner of Petaling Street, the three Wong siblings keep up the family legacy, continuing to pass on traditional Chinese dining culture through Yat Hang. 

Text: Daniel Lim & Pua Hui Wen

有你 UNI Production
Producer : Daniel Lim
Cinematographer : Amelia Lim / Evon Pang / Michael Lerk
Video Editor : Amelia Lim
Copywriter : Pua Hui Wen
Music : 《Romantic Piano Inspiration》

COPYRIGHTS 2021 ECHINOIDEA SDN BHD