“Maestro of Paper Shadows ” — Toh Ai Hwa

Teochew iron-rod puppetry originated from Chinese shadow puppetry, where puppeteers animate paper cut-out figures on a translucent screen with the aid of an illuminated background. To adapt for daytime performances, the puppets were refashioned: using tightly packed bundles of hay to form the torso, moulded clay for the head, paper and wood for the limbs, dressed in costumes, with iron rods attached to the back and limbs. The translucent screen was replaced by a glass screen. The stage structure was then changed to mimic the Teochew opera stage, complete with bamboo curtains and miniature props, and the puppeteers remain behind the curtains while manipulating the puppets to perform onstage. Those working in this line of industry are usually referred to as “Maestro of Paper Shadows”. Madam Toh Ai Hwa (a.k.a. “Zha Bor Jie”), now in her 70s, is well-known in the Teochew Puppet Opera industry in Malaysia. The special stage performance entitled “Maestro of Paper Shadows” is organized by her daughter to mark Toh Ai Hwa’s 61 years of dedication in her career.

Toh Ai Hwa is born into a family of Teochew opera performers. Her maternal grandfather, Yeoh Beng Kim, migrated to Malaya in the 19th century with his Teochew opera troupe “Lao Sai Yong Hong”; her maternal grandmother, Lee Gek Hong, was an accomplished actress playing Lady roles in the 1920s; her mother, Yeoh Cheng Im, was an accomplished actress playing Young Man roles in the 1940s; her third elder brother, Toh Ah Hock, is famous for playing Old Man roles. Traditional perceptions of opera performers were negative and disdainful. Yeoh Cheng Im did not want her children to suffer the same fate, therefore her husband brought up Toh Ai Hwa outside of the troupe, but the Teochew opera genes run deep.

By chance, Toh Ai Hwa joined “Lao Rong Xiu Chun” Teochew puppet troupe at 12 years old. Due to the puppets being too heavy for her to handle, she poured her heart into learning the musical instruments instead, and became the lead percussionist and chief conductor at the tender age of 15, which is a rare feat especially for females at the time. Besides playing percussion instruments, Toh Ai Hwa also did double duty to recite and sing the lines of various roles. As she was familiarized with Teochew opera since her childhood, she recited and sang brilliantly, having been blessed with a warm and rich voice. Being illiterate, she was unable to read manuscripts, yet she managed to memorize the lines of all the roles as well as the drum parts of nearly a hundred different Teochew operas.

In 1989, Toh Ai Hwa took over the Teochew puppet troupe as the manager retired, and rebranded as “Kim Giak Low Choon”. Her unwavering strength and determination, with assistance from her husband and four children, improved the business of the troupe, and secured plenty of performance bookings. Later on, Toh Ai Hwa’s daughter-in-law and grandchildren also joined the troupe, committed to uphold the family legacy for the fifth generation. As the rhymed spoken parts in “Emperor Ming of Tang cleanse the theatre” goes: The high platform is elaborately decorated, the number of opera performers are countless, each sentence is written by imperial scholars, singing about the vicissitudes of life – may the art pass down through the ages.

Teochew iron-rod puppetry is usually performed during traditional rituals or to honour deities. In a time when entertainment was scarce, it was also widely enjoyed by the general public. The seventh month of the lunar calendar is the busiest month for the puppet troupe, in conjunction with the Zhongyuan festival, community groups and temples would host streetside puppetry performances to pay respects to spirits. As times change, so did social perception, puppetry is no longer a performance carried out in temples but rather a form of performing arts. The puppet troupe gained opportunities to perform and share their experiences abroad. Although Toh Ai Hwa mostly stayed behind the scenes, she played an important role in passing on the legacy of Teochew opera and puppetry, and she was awarded the title of “Penang Intangible Cultural Heritage Inheritor” in 2008 and received the “George Town Knowledge Contribution and Heritage Award” from the George Town World Heritage Incorporated in 2020.

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

Buy us coffee

Grilled Fish in Broga

Fish wrapped in aluminium foil packets are neatly arranged on the brick stove, getting licked by bright flames from the charcoal fire. The chef is unable to see through the packet, and therefore can only determine whether or not the fish is fully cooked from the duration and degree of heating. When deemed ready, the foil packets are transferred to stainless steel oval plates and served to customers. Upon ripping open the steaming hot packets, one is greeted by the mouthwatering aroma and the delicate, tender flesh of a whole fish. The freshwater Tilapia fish takes about six months to grow from fish seeds to about one kilogram in weight, yet was caught, gutted and scaled, then cooked and served in the blink of an eye.

The grilled fish restaurant founded by Kok Sack Swee is situated within the hilly countryside of Broga, surrounded by verdant greenery, where one can listen to chirping birds and insects, view glimmering ponds, and embrace the tranquility and serenity. Uncle Kok lives in a small cottage on the plantation grounds. Early in the morning, he busied himself tending various fruit trees and medicinal herbs, as well as feeding the fish in the ponds. Although the work is tedious, he finds enjoyment in it.

Ancestors of the Kok family migrated from HuiZhou in GuangDong, China to Broga in the 1910s. Kok Sack Swee was a Broga lad born and bred. In his youth, he started his career in the agricultural sector, including a stint in oil palm cultivation at Kuantan, which he afterwards returned to Broga and developed fruit plantations. In the mid-90s, he started a fish pond in his durian plantation, and opened it to recreational fishing. As a way to attract more customers, Uncle Kok and his wife decided to offer cooking services.

Inspired by the relaxed charm of picnics, the freshly-caught fish are gutted and scaled, coated in homemade paste, wrapped in an aluminium foil packet, and grilled on a charcoal fire. Due to foil packets absorb heat relatively quick and distribute it evenly, as well as effectively retaining the food’s moisture, lending the grilled fish a delicate and tender texture. Captivating the customers’ taste buds with fresh ingredients, and charging a fair price, Uncle Kok gradually gained popularity. He is the first in Broga to offer grilled fish in aluminium foil packets, attracting foodies from near and far. 

In 2000, Uncle Kok shifted to the current premises inside a rubber plantation, built additional fish ponds, and established a grilled fish restaurant. His wife, sister-in-law, son, daughter-in-law, and daughter readily help with operations. The entire family work together to serve up the freshest delicacies. Earlier on, while at the old premises, his son, Kok Chee Yee, used to only help out during weekends. Upon Uncle Kok founded the restaurant in his 60s, Kok Chee Yee decided to stay home to help, and took over the reins shortly after.

Now aged 81, Uncle Kok is no longer in charge of the grill, but he is still actively helping in the restaurant. From time to time, he worked in the fruit orchard behind the restaurant, tending various fruit trees and medicinal herbs. Whenever regular customers visit, he would converse with them in the Hakka dialect. Sometimes he would help to gut and scale fish, chop vegetables, and wash the dishes. In the evening, after business hours, is his time to relax and play with his grandchildren.

Kok Sack Swee leads an idyllic lifestyle in the countryside, Kok Chee Yee also shares his father’s sentiments, keeping a distance from the hustle and bustle of city life, relishing in the natural environment and his culinary pursuits. Living a simple life, surrounded by beloved family members, is the epitome of happiness.

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

COPYRIGHTS 2025 ECHINOIDEA SDN BHD

Buy us coffee

Sak Dato Temple in Broga

Broga, which spans the states of Selangor and Negeri Sembilan, possesses a refreshing hilly natural landscape, as well as captivating local myths and legends that gave birth to a localized folk religion – Sak Dato.

In the mid-19th century, a batch of Hakkanese from HuiZhou in GuangDong, China, left their beloved hometown to become tin miners at Broga, which was still wilderness at the time. Upon settling down, due to being unaccustomed to the climate, along with poor living conditions, they suffer from illness. An indigenous man named Aman, who was warm-hearted and compassionate, always gathered medicinal herbs to help cure the miners’ illness. He lived in a stone cave along the path leading to the mining area, hence the miners refer to him as Sak Man. Word has it Sak Man vanished one day, and visited the miners’ dreams to inform them he had ascended to heaven, and was appointed by the Jade Emperor to safeguard the region. The miners went to investigate the stone cave, and found Sak Man’s remains in a termite nest. They buried him on the spot and erected a temple to pay respects to him.

Over the years, whenever confronted with difficulties, Broga villagers sought advice or herbal remedies from Sak Dato. Sak Dato is very efficacious, therefore villagers would send wooden plaques as a token of appreciation. In the early days, the temple was merely a shabby zinc hut, visited by local villagers. In 1991, FengShui master Chen WenGuo chanced to visit, and found that the temple was facing the wrong direction. After gaining Sak Dato’s approval, he reconstructed the temple into an auspicious facing direction. Master Chen offered help free of charge, under one condition: the temple committee must utilize money received from devotees for charity. The following year, upon completion of rebuilding works, the temple became popular and devotees flocked to visit.

As the number of devotees increases, 30% of donations to the temple are allocated to charity; the rest are used for beautifying the temple grounds, administration and maintenance purposes. The “Garden of Virtuous Deeds” Foundation was established in 1992, distributing relief funds to the poor and the ill in Negeri Sembilan, Selangor, and Kuala Lumpur on a monthly basis, consecutively up to the 400th session at present. Thanks to the continual generous support of devotees, there were no interruptions even during the Movement Control Order. At the same time, the temple committee also sponsors Home for the Angels Care Centre, which takes in orphans and children from dysfunctional families.

In 2012, the Sak Dato Cultural Museum was established to preserve historical relics of the Chinese community, and spread awareness to the public about the hardships and struggles of the development of Chinese education in Malaysia. The statues of the three key figures of Chinese education in Malaysia (Lim Lian Geok, Sim Mow Yu, and Lok Ting Yee) on exhibition are from The Four Houses Of Red in Gemas.

Initially, upon construction of the Sak Dato Temple, the British colonial government allocated 1.7 acres of land. Over the years, the temple committee gradually purchased neighbouring plots of land, expanding and beautifying the temple grounds so that people not only come to worship, but also to exercise and relax. The temple also attracted tourists near and far, boosting local economic activities. To date, the temple spans 38 acres, with 10 acres pending development.

Sak Dato Temple plays an important role in the Broga neighbourhood; not only a place of worship, it is also a place for healthy recreational activities, a cultural centre passing on the historical heritage, and at the same time contributing to social welfare and helping the needy.

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

Buy us coffee