UNINESS

Grasp hundreds of fine bamboo sticks, align them, dip in water, coat with finely ground sandalwood powder. Swirl the wrists in a “blooming” motion, the powder that float up in the air will attach to the bamboo. Repeat the above steps thrice, produce batch by batch, spread out on racks and dry under the sun. Once dried, dye the base and pack. 67-year-old Foo Kok Keong inherited the skill of handmaking joss sticks, passed down over three generations in his family, and runs his own manufacturing site – Tanyi Enterprise at Kampung Baru Rasah, Seremban.

Mr Foo’s grandfather hailed from Anxi County in China, and settled in Kampung Baru Rasah. Utilizing his skill in handmaking joss sticks, he founded a family-run workshop named Hiong Yee Teng. Blessed with a shrewd mind, apart from handmaking joss sticks, he also purchased some joss paper and praying materials, filled a large basket and went around for miles selling them on a bicycle. After getting the business on track, he started production on a larger scale in 1963, hiring numerous helpers, doing wholesale and exports. The second-generation owner of Hiong Yee Teng is Mr Foo’s uncle. Not only did he inherited his father’s business, but also his shrewd mind, expanding to import sandalwood as well. 

Mr Foo Kok Keong is interested in handmaking joss sticks since a young age. He begun shadowing his uncle when he was 10 years old, learning the craft. After a few months of hands-on, he gained approval from his grandfather, and started to get paid according to the amount of joss sticks he made. While he was still a student, Mr Foo worked hard to earn his own pocket money, and saved up to buy little luxuries at the time, such as a radio, a bicycle. After graduating from high school, he went outstation and overseas to work, nevertheless he finally chose to return to help his uncle manage the family business, and later branched out on his own.

Back when entertainment was scarce, relatives and young people from the neighbourhood would come over for fun, and gradually learnt how to make joss sticks. In the 70s to 80s, there were lots of swine farms in Kampung Baru Rasah, after facing closure due to swine fever, a dozen or so were converted into joss stick manufacturing sites. Since the 90s, machine-made joss sticks became commonly available, moreover joss sticks imported from China are way cheaper, hitting the joss stick manufacturing industry hard, only the Foo family’s businesses managed to stay afloat. Hiong Yee Teng embraced machinery, whereas Tanyi Enterprise became the sole remaining handmade joss stick manufacturer. Foo Kok Keong and his nephew are in charge of production, while his sister takes care of packaging. 

Handmaking joss sticks puts physical abilities to the test. A handful of bamboo sticks already weigh over two kilograms, becoming even heavier after dipping in water and coating in sandalwood powder, yet still need to swirl the wrists in order to “bloom”. During the process, one must pay close attention, joss sticks that are stuck together, broken, or flawed, must be immediately discarded. The procedure may seem easy, but repetitive and dull, trying one’s patience. Mastery is achieved after having endured all the above and countless hands-on practice. 

Praying with joss sticks is an important element in Chinese traditional culture and folk beliefs. Joss sticks are used to pay respects to deities and ancestors, as well as purifying the space and the mind. Joss sticks made using natural ingredients exude a mellow aroma, fresh and pure, and would not cause discomfort even when smelling up close. Besides handmaking the signature sandalwood joss sticks, Mr Foo also blends incense powders according to customers’ preference and demand, such as agarwood, kayu raja, lakawood, or even sulfur. His biggest satisfaction arises from customers making repeat purchases because they like the aroma he blended.

Nowadays craftspeople handmaking joss sticks are increasingly rare, skill inheritance is endangered. Mr Foo Kok Keong spent the better part of his life making joss sticks, and is still passionate about it, never getting tired of carrying out the tedious work in a hot and stuffy environment on a daily basis.

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【Locality Info】

Kampung Baru Rasah is the first Chinese New Village established nationwide, as well as the largest in Negeri Sembilan, spanning about 200 acres, located about 3km away from Seremban town centre.

According to folk studies research conducted by scholars, the name “Rasah” originated from:

1. Rassak（a tree in the family Dipterocarpaceae）, a type of wood suitable for boat-building.
2. Asah（meaning “to sharpen” in Malay）, in the early days, pioneers came upriver to this area covered in dense forest, so they sharpened their knives and sickles on the rocks by the river to clear the natural terrain. They named the river “Asah”, which gradually became “Rasah”.

In the early days, Rasah had tin mines and rubber plantations, where large numbers of Chinese labourers sought employment. The Malayan Emergency was declared by the British in Malaya (Peninsular Malaysia) on 18th June 1948, they viewed the Chinese as a threat to public security, and intended to carry out forced deportation. Chinese settlers in rural Seremban, namely Ulu Temiang and Sikamat, bore the brunt. Fortunately prominent Chinese community leaders carried out negotiations with the British, and agreed on establishing a re-settlement area in Seremban for the Chinese to rebuild their homes.

In 1951, the re-settlement area was affected by floods, and had to move to higher grounds nearby, where Kampung Baru Rasah currently stands. The layout of the new village was meticulously planned by the British, comprising residences, police station, schools etc. Residential plots sized 40ft x 100ft were marked by four cement poles, labelled with numbers, and allocated through a draw. Then, residents may construct their own houses.

有你 UNI Production
Producer : Daniel Lim
Cinematographer : Amelia Lim / Michael Lerk
Drone : Daniel Lim
Video Editor : Michael Lerk
Copywriter : Pua Hui Wen

COPYRIGHTS 2025 ECHINOIDEA SDN BHD

“Did you know that scissors have got a heart?” Uncle Chow Hon Meng points at the pivot screw connecting the two blades. This heart, which does not beat, plays a key role in cutting performance, as it controls the blade tension, neither too tight or too loose, in order to function properly. Sharp blades create a smooth, clean cut, whereas dull blades are inefficient, resulting in jagged cuts, or even pull and tear the material. Therefore, scissors require sharpening from time to time. 

Uncle Chow has been sharpening scissors for over half a century. At 75 years old, he is rather sprightly, and his vision is still sharp like a hawk. First of all, he inspects the wornness of the scissors. Using tools, he loosens and removes the pivot screw, and rids the blades of dirt and rust. The sharpening process starts with hollow grinding with a grinding wheel machine, later on transitioning to coarse and then fine sharpening stones. After that, he wipes the blades clean, lubricate, and reassembles the scissors, tightening the screw until achieving perfect tension. 

Apart from scissors, Uncle Chow also sharpens various items, with customers from all over Malaysia, mainly those working in industries that rely on scissors and knives, such as tailors, hairdressers, and chefs. They would invest in high quality tools, to which they grew accustomed over time, even though their tools became dull, they would not dream of discarding or replacing. Some of them visit in person, or courier their tools over to Uncle Chow, just to bring their tools back to life. The toughest job of all is the razor, as it only has one cutting edge, a uniform apex must be achieved.

Uncle Chow is born in Penang, unto a family that does professional sharpening services. His father migrated from China, established a shop named “Heng Lee” in Georgetown, and taught sharpening skills to his children. When Uncle Chow first started out, he perfected his skills through continual practice, and even sharpened scissors and knives for neighbours free of charge. As he came from a big family, he decided to move to Kuala Lumpur to seek better opportunities.

In the 1980s, Bangunan Pak Peng in Petaling Street just opened, a 13-storey complex housing shops and offices, towering above the double-storey shophouses. It was very popular back then, the ground floor retail shops were all rented out to tailors, goldsmiths, tour agencies etc. Uncle Chow only managed to secure a shop on the first floor. He chose to continue his father’s legacy by using the same trade name “Heng Lee”. 

Salon products are displayed in the shop windows, the rear end is partitioned into a tiny workshop, brightly lit and well equipped with a wide array of tools and sharpening stones. In Heng Lee Trading Co.’s early days, Uncle Chow hired salespeople to sell salon products, his sales team even had three to four vans covering Kuala Lumpur and Selangor. His only focus is on sharpening services. Later on, his staff members gradually left in pursuit of their personal goals. Even though Uncle Chow is alone in the shop, he does not feel lonely as there are scissors talking to him. 

For over four decades, Uncle Chow is punctual at work, and delivers satisfactory results. He prefers appointment-based jobs, not urgent orders, as he requires sufficient time and energy in order to achieve optimal sharpening. Uncle Chow has been through professional training, his charges may be higher, but the quality of his job is guaranteed, hence building a strong and loyal customer base. 

As the saying goes, good tools are prerequisite to the success. Even as technology advances, scissors and knives are indispensable. However, nowadays in Petaling Street, very few skillful sharpening craftsmen like Uncle Chow could be found.

有你 UNI Production
Producer : Daniel Lim
Cinematographer : Amelia Lim / Michael Lerk
Drone : Daniel Lim
Video Editor : Michael Lerk
Copywriter : Pua Hui Wen

COPYRIGHTS 2025 ECHINOIDEA SDN BHD