Meet The Artisans
Who They Are
The Typist
V. Visualingam A/L Vai Thilingam
The artisan, Mr V. Visualingam A/L Vai Thilingam, 67, started his journey as a typist after studying LCE. He learned his skills 𝖿𝗋𝗈𝗆 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗈𝗅𝖽 𝗆𝖺𝗇 (𝗐𝗁𝗈 𝗋𝖾𝗆𝖺𝗂𝗇𝖾𝖽 𝖺𝗇𝗈𝗇𝗒𝗆𝗈𝗎𝗌) 𝗅𝖾𝖿𝗍 𝗈𝖿 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖼𝖺𝗋𝗋𝗂𝖾𝖽 𝗈𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗌𝖾𝗋𝗏𝗂𝖼𝖾𝗌 𝗎𝗇𝗍𝗂𝗅 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗉𝗋𝖾𝗌𝖾𝗇𝗍 𝖽𝖺𝗒. He was diagnosed with Polio but it did not stop him from providing services under the hot sun every day, helping customers to file complaints by preparing the letter based on the problem. 𝖶𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝖺 𝗍𝗈𝗄𝖾𝗇 𝗈𝖿 𝖺𝗌 𝗅𝗂𝗍𝗍𝗅𝖾 𝖺𝗌 𝖱𝖬𝟣𝟢 𝗉𝖾𝗋 𝗃𝗈𝖻, 𝖬𝗋. 𝖵 𝗆𝖺𝗄𝖾𝗌 𝖺 𝗅𝗂𝗏𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝖿𝗂𝗇𝗀𝖾𝗋𝗌 𝗁𝗈𝗉𝗉𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖽𝖺𝗇𝖼𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗈𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖺𝗅𝗉𝗁𝖺𝖻𝖾𝗍𝗌 𝖿𝗎𝗅𝖿𝗂𝗅𝗅𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖼𝗎𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗆𝖾𝗋’𝗌 𝗇𝖾𝖾𝖽.
Full Interview:
Location of stall:
Beside the street of Jalan Pantai, Butterworth.
The Traditional Coffee Barista
Leong Swee Hium & Family
The artisans of three generations started with Mdm. Leong, 86, who worked as the 1st generation Kopi Master (Traditional Coffee Barista) and the business was succeeded by her son, Mr. Lim Teng Feng, 61. Mr. Lim used to work in Kuala Lumpur. He came back for this family business after his brothers decided not to continue running the Kopitiam. He is now running the business with his daughter, Ms. Lim Shin Yi, 36, utilizing what she had learned. Lim came back to help after she completed her study in hotel management and worked in 3 different hotels out of her respect for her father and grandmother’s efforts. The family business is named Luan Fong Kopitiam.
The current coffee shop is a newly rented place. The Lim family moved their coffee shop business here after the owner of the previous location discontinued renting them the premises. Although the shop (kopitiam) may not be as comfortable and modern as the other booming franchise coffees or the cafés, it remains a popular place for local communities of all races with its affordable price, friendliness, and cozy environment for people to share their daily stories with one another.
Full Interview:
Location of coffee shop:
Luan Fong Kopitiam
Lorong Bagan Luar 3, 12000, Butterworth, Penang, Malaysia.
The Coconut Carver
Leong Yu Hin
The artisan, Mr Leong Yu Hin, 41, is the founder of Yeacoco-art-gallery. 𝖧𝗂𝗌 𝗃𝗈𝗎𝗋𝗇𝖾𝗒 𝗍𝗈𝗈𝗄 𝖿𝗈𝗋𝗆 𝗂𝗇 𝟤𝟢𝟢𝟪 𝗐𝗁𝖾𝗇 𝗁𝖾 𝖿𝗈𝗎𝗇𝖽 𝗁𝗂𝗆𝗌𝖾𝗅𝖿 𝗁𝗂𝗍𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗋𝗈𝖼𝗄 𝖻𝗈𝗍𝗍𝗈𝗆 𝗈𝖿 𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗅𝗂𝖿𝖾. 𝖧𝖾 𝗌𝖾𝗅𝖿-𝗍𝖺𝗎𝗀𝗁𝗍 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗌𝗄𝗂𝗅𝗅𝗌 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖾𝗆𝖻𝗋𝖺𝖼𝖾𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗅𝖾𝖺𝗋𝗇𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖼𝗎𝗋𝗏𝖾𝗌 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗉𝗈𝗌𝗂𝗍𝗂𝗏𝗂𝗍𝗒 𝖺𝗅𝗍𝗁𝗈𝗎𝗀𝗁 𝗆𝖺𝗇𝗒 𝖽𝗈𝗎𝖻𝗍𝖾𝖽 𝗁𝗂𝗆 𝖻𝗎𝗍 𝗁𝖾 𝗍𝗋𝗎𝗌𝗍𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗂𝗇𝗇𝖾𝗋 𝖼𝖺𝗅𝗅𝗂𝗇𝗀.
Location of store:
Yeacoco-art-gallery
13400 Butterworth, Penang, Malaysia.
Full Interview:
The Tau Sah Piah Baker
Sim Ah Ba
The artisan, Mr Sim Ah Ba, 74, is the founder of Ing Guan Hein Biscuit located in Butterworth, Penang. Mr Sim came from a poor but big family. His father sent him to work because the household income was too limited to support the family. He became a pastry master since 1967, after 7 years of apprenticeship.
The younger son, Mr Sim Chin Hoong, 47, learned from his father since he was 13 years old, and became the second generation of the business which continued his father’s legacy along with his brother.
Location of Bakery:
Ing Guan Hein Biscuit
Block A-G-09, Lebuh Bunga Tanjung, Taman Tanjung Raja Uda, 12300, Butterworth, Pulau Pinang, 12300
Full interview :
The Rattan Maker
Chong Kean Soon
The artisan, Mr Chong Kean Soon became a rattan weaver because he needed to help his father support the family. Hence, he is considered as the second generation to continue his late father’s family business. In order to support the family, he never attended school. All he knew about words was how to write his own name. He grew up having countless rough days suffering injuries from cutting, trimming and weaving rattan, treated only with applying bandages to stop the bleeding instead of properly attended by a medical practitioner. Today, the business has been ongoing for 64 years ever since it’s opening in 1958. Unfortunately, neither his children nor grandchildren succeeded the business. Another reason for the reluctance of continuing the business by the new generations comes from the tedious, time-consuming and labour-intensive process of this craft making.
Location of store:
Weng Giap Rattan & Repair
770, Jalan Sungai Puyu, Kampung Benggali, 13020 Butterworth, Pulau Pinang
Full interview:
