Merdeka 2024: Photographer Kenny Loh explores Malaysia’s rich and diverse culture through his “Born in Malaysia” series

In Melaka’s Jonker Street, I peered into Chan Kin Wah’s tiny shop, and the scene conjured up images of a fairy tale. Tick tock tick tock.. the sound of the many clocks hanging on the walls. He spoke of how we don’t value items anymore, throwing things away when something new is on the market. This conversation extended to how buildings are torn down and replaced with new designs. Why not restore? The same applies to watches and clocks.

Mr Chan inherited his Hong Kong-born father’s eponymous watch and clock repair business almost 40 years ago. Over the decades, he has acquired an extensive clientele. They come from all over the world, bringing him watches, often heirlooms, so old that very few people know how to repair them anymore. His secret is to respect the watchmaker’s artistry, craftsmanship and integrity.
 

For over 100 years, Cheong Lee sundry shop has been the mainstay of the community in Bukit Koman, where everyone speaks Hakka, including the Malays and Indian people. Founded by his great-grandfather, Wong Chor Lum said they used to have more than 20 people working in the shop when he was a young boy. These days, business has been affected by the opening of a supermarket nearby. His kids are not interested in carrying on the business; all are working in KL.

Mr Wong is aware that these are the last days of his business. When he opened one of the drawers, there must have been hundreds of 555 books, the small little booklets used by Malaysian tradesmen to record purchases made on credit in the old days. After we completed the photography session, Mr Wong’s brother Pak Fah insisted that I have lunch with them and I drove home with a bottle of wine in hand. Time and again, I have enjoyed such generous hospitality from people who live in the smaller towns and villages, who are amazed that anyone would be interested in their lives and stories.

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The Loh siblings: all four of them were born before Merdeka. My father, Loh Charn Hoong, is the one in the purple shirt. My grandfather was a surgical dresser at the Kuala Lumpur General Hospital, and I think his desire to be in government service influenced his children.

My father worked at the DID (Drainage & Irrigation Department); his older sister was a matron at Kuala Lumpur General Hospital; and his younger sister was at Bank Negara Malaysia. His elder brother was an agronomist attached to the Ministry of Agriculture before moving to Scotland. My father passed away in May, and his older sister passed away several years ago. My thought on this photo is how all four of them served the country.

Someone brought Sheela Raghavan to my attention because of her work teaching dance to underprivileged kids. I finally met Sheela at a temple in Bangsar where the kids were practising. On a very hot and humid day, I witnessed how Sheela, the epitome of grace, patiently taught the kids.

Having learned to dance from some of the most prominent teachers in India, she was mesmerising to see in her element. Sheela has wintnessed the transformative power of dance in the children. “A child’s self-assurance is strengthened when she goes on stage to dance in her beautiful costume,” she says. “No one can ever put them down after.” Her students have defied the odds, with many making it to university.

Nur Azmina Burhan is a hairstylist. I first came across her cutting the hair of the homeless. Late at night, she would set up her chair, carefully placing plastic sheets underneath to catch the falling hair. She was having a good conversation with all of her “clients” about what style they wanted.

I found her to be genuine and with a lot of empathy for the plight of the homeless. I invited her to one of my exhibitions, and during an interview, I was asked why I had invited her. My answer was that she restored dignity to the homeless, which immediately made her cry.

Mr KK Low is the current owner of Pak Tai Photo Studio on Jalan Sultan, Kuala Lumpur. He has a good business shooting passport and identitfication photographs for the big police station nearby. He started with film cameras, and back in the day, the studio employed at least six people who developed film, printed photographs and mounted them.

These days, it is just him working by himself in the studio. I had the privilege of having my passport photo taken by Mr Low, and was very impressed by his instinctive understanding of lighting, which is rare in the industry today.

Chinese opera is all Madam Goh Kwooi Thai has known. In spite of the heat backstage, she calmly applied her make-up. The wooden chest in front of her was given to her when she first joined the troupe as a teenager. Inside is where she kept her costumes, stage gear and all the accoutrements of her professional life for over 40 years.

At the temple in Ipoh, most people were busy praying and didn’t really pay much attention when she was on stage. I wanted to tell them to stop and watch a master at work, but I knew they wouldn’t understand.

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My realisation is that there is always someone who will find value in something we are going to throw away. Hence the need for Pasar Karat, in Lorong Petaling, Kuala Lumpur. This flea market features traders selling all kinds of items. I’ve bought old issues of National Geographic and even an old Phillips radio. The market operates from 3am, with lights switched on until 7am, creating a surreal scene.

I’ve always photographed the area later in the morning, but by chance, I arrived at 6.50am during one of my walks. Imagine the feeling I had, seeing the market lighted up in that surreal light in the distance. When I got close, the lights automatically switched off! I was there the next day at 6am to capture this scene. As of April 18, 2024, the market has moved to a new location next to Lee Lam Thye Wet Market.

Walking along Cintra Street in Penang, I came across this dim sum restaurant, De Tai Tong Cafe, that’s more than 60 years old. Twice a year, before CNY and Mid Autumn Festival, the ceiling is adorned with lanterns of all shapes and sizes, some of which is for sale. While the place is known for its dim sum, my interest was in the beautiful ceiling. It was certainly one of the most unique ceilings I’ve come across in my travels.

As we first got into the boat and the sun was rising in the distance, one of my friends commented, “This is what we live for.” How true that statement is for me as well, especially when shooting on location in Malaysia and coming across scenes like this. It was early morning in Belum Rainforest.

We were in a speed boat, travelling to one of the Orang Asli villages when we came across this scene. The boat driver immediately cut the engine to avoid disturbing what looked like a father teaching his kids the basics of maneuvering a bamboo raft. We could hear the children’s laughter followed by the serious tone of their father. The sound of the oar being dragged through the water was also very soothing.

I spent a week up in the hills at the village of Long Semadoh, Sarawak, where the Lun Bawang people live. They are one of the earliest settlers in the mountainous regions of this part of Borneo. Visiting the primary school there, the look of joy on the faces of the students as they learnt from their equally enthusiastic teacher was really nice to observe. I always appreciate any opportunity to travel to Borneo and to get to know my fellow Malaysians better.

 The Jahut tribe, who live in Jerantut, Pahang, have a unique circumcision tradition among the Orang Asli. This is the feast that marks the start of the two-day ritual before the circumcision ceremony. It is held on the first night and is attended by the entire village.

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