Since the Sixties, Malaysian prisoners are no longer put through hard labour during their incarceration. Instead, they are taught a number of living skills that would enable them to earn a decent income when they are released into society. The Prison Department of Malaysia, which has a 225-year history, established the Vocational and Industrial Section under ... continue reading »

As one of only six female pedallers in the male-dominated trishaw industry in Malacca city, Humaira Bt. Norezan, 21, certainly draws much attention. In the job for three years now, Humaira has gotten used to the pleasant surprise of her passengers. She shared, "They are always amazed to learn that I am one of the rare ... continue reading »

Come rain or shine, cobbler Osman Sidek, 58, can be found in his booth at the junction of Jalan Sultan Nazrin Shah and Jalan Rapat Jaya attending to his work. Osman, who relocated to Ipoh about four years ago with his wife Suhaila Shamsuddin, is originally from Selayang, Selangor. The free-spirited cobbler has travelled the whole ... continue reading »

Holding a size 12 needle between his left thumb and forefinger, Lim Tian Seng meticulously stitched one Japanese cut bead after another onto the piece of pattern that he had drawn earlier, that is pegged tightly with a round wood frame. To craft a pair of Peranakan beaded slippers, one needs plenty of creativity and patience, ... continue reading »

With a few fingertips wrapped in adhesive bandage, Chee Ken Soon nonchalantly weaves rattan strips to tie up the joints of a cane chair, at the back of his show house-cum-workshop in Gunung Rapat, Ipoh. Chee, 52, is sometimes helped by his father-in-law, Chong Kam Fatt, who is in his seventies, but most of the time, ... continue reading »

In 1892, Kwok Soo Kha, a 31-year-old widow from Guangdong, Southern China, and her two children, aged 10 and 12 years, came to Taiping, Perak, to find work as a domestic servant for the British. Upon the untimely death of her husband, a merchant, she decided to forge a new life for her small family ... continue reading »

Into his fifteenth year living in Ipoh, the inefficiencies of local government agencies still boggle the mind of Australian Stephen John Cook. Despite regularly being made to jump through hoops and hurdles, the 53-year-old, known to many as the "Laughing Fat Man of Ipoh" has no regrets relocating to the city. Sharing his story, he said, ... continue reading »