Faces of the Heartlands

Dates

2019 - Ongoing
Author

Annice Lyn
Location Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Time is an inescapable presence, and change is constant.

Through the years, the metropolitan region of Kuala Lumpur has evolved in the realm of technological advancements and entrepreneurial deploys which has predominantly influenced the demographic cohort of millennials as a new generation emerges. With increasing consumerism and multinationals taking over inner-city areas, this has fuelled the demise of long-established businesses.

Oftentimes, we don’t appreciate what we have until it’s gone. We tend to take the familiar right turn home or walk past shops during our weekly errands, unaware of our surroundings or what is in front of us. This collective documentation of environmental portraits explores the stories of a few urban business tenants and their resilience to change, surviving recessions, and persevered through the decades-spanning generations.

Many of them are concerned for the young generation and to some; their own children who would not consider taking over the businesses despite genuine efforts to preserve their traditional practices. This has caused a significant impact on these businesses, as the tenants would have to come to terms soon to put an end to their years of assiduous efforts.

© Annice Lyn - Image from the Faces of the Heartlands photography project

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Greengrocer Wong works as a greengrocer at TCT Vege Enterprise at Kinrara. Due to the global pandemic, it has caused a significant strain and setbacks to the businesses, nonetheless, he shares with him and his staff persistent, their business is picking up the pace with return patrons and aim to continue to provide fresh fruits and vegetables daily.

© Annice Lyn - Image from the Faces of the Heartlands photography project

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Dentist Doctor Au is your non-typical neighborhood dentist at Au & Kooi Dental Surgery located on the 1st floor of the shop lots along Damansara Jaya. Oftentimes around the afternoon, you may see him walking down with an empty plastic container of his own, as he makes his way to his usual restaurant to take away his favorite dishes. Au has a daughter who is also a dentist, currently residing in New Zealand practicing dentistry.

© Annice Lyn - Image from the Faces of the Heartlands photography project

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Garland Florist Kamach operates Kamachi Florist with her husband, making beautifully crafted traditional Indian garlands for religious and ceremonial purposes. Upon Kamach's retirement, she worked as a Chef de cuisine in luxurious hotels, such as the Mandarin Oriental, Grand Hyatt, Four Seasons and even being offered to advance her culinary career in Dubai, City in the United Arab Emirates. She has 3 children; 2 sons who unfortunately passed away in the same tragic accident and a daughter who is currently working as a doctor. Kamach finds the joy and contentment of running a business alongside her husband. Their humble store currently operates under a shed, next to a hustle-bustle road, as they offer retail of fresh milk and yogurt, sweets and fruits, bouquet, coconut, oil, and prayer items.

© Annice Lyn - Image from the Faces of the Heartlands photography project

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Tea Maker Wah is a tea maker at Lorong Panggung, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur. Lorong Panggung is alternately known as Kwai Chai Hong in the Cantonese dialect and translates quite literally as "Ghost Lane" or "Little Demon Alley." The lane's past as an area filled with gamblers, drug addicts, drunkards, and those engaging in vice activities. It was claimed that Lorong Panggung was the hideout of the "Dragon Tiger Clan'' whose boss would call his members "Little Ghosts". Kwai Chai Hong, a place that was once a notorious lane and neglected in between, has been recently restored. The community envisions Kwai Chai Hong to be an event venue, opportunities for tenants, eateries that would allow people to linger in the area and a place that would attract the younger generation to look forward to. Wah expresses his frustration and is well aware of his limited capacity to cater and condition of his standalone store, not meeting up to standard hygienic requirements in the F&B chain. With the restoration, as the pre-war buildings in the history-rich lane set to be the latest tourist hotspot, we could only hope that Wah's business opportunity would flourish.

© Annice Lyn - Image from the Faces of the Heartlands photography project

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Traditional Chinese Medicine Shopkeeper Lee is a shopkeeper at Perniagaan Lee Min, a traditional Chinese Medicine shop, with an extensive stock of goji berries, cordyceps, dried goods, herbal medicine, ginseng, bird’s nest, pearl dust and more. Customers would walk in to purchase a packet of measured herbs to brew at home. Traditional medical practice is all about balancing the energy in your body, so that the yin the yang, and the qi are kept in check. The long-running medicine halls - Perniagaan Lee Min are well known for their extensive collection and knowledge of medicinal herbs. Despite the advancement of medical science, Chinese herbal medicine remains relevant today. Lee prescribes remedies to patients and has a son who is currently studying journalisms.

© Annice Lyn - Image from the Faces of the Heartlands photography project

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Florist Koon of Koon Wah Florist has been in the realm serving as one of the oldest existing floral shops in Chinatown, virtually synonymous with Petaling Street or Jalan Petaling, in Kuala Lumpur. His business offers bouquets and congratulatory flower arrangements for business opening and graduation bouquets.

© Annice Lyn - Image from the Faces of the Heartlands photography project

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Incense Shopkeeper Chen and her husband run a shop situated along Old Klang Road, Kuala Lumpur supplying Chinese incense, joysticks, colorful paper-mâché, religious figures, prayer ornaments, and ancillary goods. The husband and wife duo expressed their concern amidst the global pandemic that heavily affected their sales, jeopardizing their business. In addition, maintaining their shop lot - Kedai Weng Lee Seng, was a colossal weight to bear with its monthly rental commitment and lack of profit margin daily.

© Annice Lyn - Image from the Faces of the Heartlands photography project

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Upholsterer Lim works as an upholsterer in central Kuala Lumpur . A layback individual with so little words but a big smile. In the last 30 minutes of his working hours, he explains the processes of upholstery and cushion reconditioning as he dug his hands' webbing and padding with glue all over on his other hand.

© Annice Lyn - Image from the Faces of the Heartlands photography project

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Fishmonger Ng is a fishmonger, known for his humble and friendly approach selling raw fish and seafood at the Kinrara Morning Market. He explained there’s a mandatory need for business legislation of registration to certify his business operation at the pop-up farmers market and gushes about how he misses his daughter, who is currently living abroad.

© Annice Lyn - Image from the Faces of the Heartlands photography project

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Mercer Boon operates LBB Enterprise under a worn-off steel warehouse, where he sells fabrics and textiles, along with offering additional services for his regular patrons' cushion recondition, reupholstery, and repairs to springs or backboards. Giving old furniture a second chance and revitalizing them to breathe new life into the customer's home. The warehouse is the last few existing rows in Jalan Puchong, with no current plans of being demolished… Well not yet.

© Annice Lyn - Image from the Faces of the Heartlands photography project

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Cobbler A regular customer smiles for a photo after he had his shoes refurbished at Chinatown, virtually synonymous with Petaling Street or Jalan Petaling, in Kuala Lumpur. The cobbler and owner of the shoe shop is a moderately calm and placid individual, who does not wish to have his photo nor portrait to be taken. He insists on having his customer photo taken instead, as it shows great satisfaction through his expression as he was wearing his shoe comfortably with his cane supporting his walking mobility.

© Annice Lyn - Image from the Faces of the Heartlands photography project

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Bus Stop Vendor Loga is the recent newsstand vendor at the bus stop KL 1269 Pearl Point, Jalan Klang Lama. He shares the 2 m x 3 m space has been occupied by other vendors for the past 20 years or so. Many communal would stop by to purchase fizzy drinks on a scorching hot day, quick pick me up for local snacks, cigarettes, and to catch up on the news. Sometimes there might even have a bus driver or two themselves pause in front of his store to catch a breather.

© Annice Lyn - Image from the Faces of the Heartlands photography project

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Electrician Wei is an electrical contractor, whose service works include repairs electric motors, refrigerators, air conditioning, etc at Wei Seng Electrical Works. When asking about the past and future, Wei kindly explained that he was not a bright student who excels academically. Hence he braces through years of grassroots layman work, that he hoped his children would not partake nor follow his career path.

© Annice Lyn - Image from the Faces of the Heartlands photography project

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Hairdresser Cheryl has been a hairdresser at her beauty salon - Head of Time, Hair & Beauty Studio (Salun Pendadan Rambut dan Persolekan) in Malay business registration purposes, for the past 17 years. Her beauty salon offers basic haircut and wash, as well as colour hair dye and treatments. Her peak season is usually 3 weeks prior to Chinese New Years' festivities. She has a daughter who studies media communication, as she shares her joy and confidence for posting photos.

© Annice Lyn - Image from the Faces of the Heartlands photography project

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Custom Framer Fong works as a custom framer with her uncle at Kien Seng Glass Enterprise for the past 30 years. As a visual artist and photographer, I would bring the paintings and artworks that I have done to be framed as a gift for relatives during Christmas. Fong’s precision and attention to detail have been a valuable asset for her business. With her superior craftsmanship which strengthens her in doing what she does best over the years, providing professional advice so that the outcome of the finished products leave her customers satisfied. Kien Seng Glass Enterprise has a very extensive and diverse selection of frames and matting. In the art of framing, preservation and archival techniques are used in the framing process so that each framed item will be preserved for years to come.

© Annice Lyn - Image from the Faces of the Heartlands photography project

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Confectionery Shopkeeper Lim perceives himself as a simple man who is a shopkeeper, overseeing the trading goods of confectionery products, cracker snacks, and biscuits at Stesen Biskut (Station Biscuit), Food and Trading in USJ, Taipan. He regularly greets his customers with a big smile and a warm welcome, as he stands in between two partitions of biscuit tins and snacks carton.

© Annice Lyn - Image from the Faces of the Heartlands photography project

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Numismatist Ho is a coin collector, specialist dealers, and trader at Hsuan Ho Trading. He spends his daily work routine buying and selling coins, banknotes, medals, tokens stamps, and curios. Usually, around late-noon, he spends his downtime chatting with friends who visited his trading quarter and enjoy traditional Chinese tea.

© Annice Lyn - Image from the Faces of the Heartlands photography project

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Optometrist YK is a certified optometrist who graduated from Glasgow Caledonian University in 1983. He believes he is not only perceived by who he is, but what he does; being service to the people within the community to help others and in improving their vision by examining, diagnosing and treating his patrons’ disorders of the visual system. When he is not working, Uncle YK is a Sunday school teacher who has the heart for children's education and professes his guilty pleasure for sourdough, paired with homemade kayaking (coconut jam) and sea salt butter. He is currently operating Y.K. Leong Optometry Centre Sdn. Bhd. , a family business with his siblings, along with both of his children who were both postgraduate optometry.

© Annice Lyn - Image from the Faces of the Heartlands photography project

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Haberdasher Ching works as a haberdasher who sells small articles for sewing, such as buttons, ribbons, and zips in one of the classic sewing shops in Kuala Lumpur. Known as one of the oldest existing haberdashery shops around, Dexon Button Shop offerers sewing and tailor services plus other extensive services such as scissors sharpening service alterations, and zipper repair with walls of storage filled with sewing materials threads, buttons, linings fabric, hooks and more.

© Annice Lyn - Image from the Faces of the Heartlands photography project

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Rattan Furniture Maker Chong has been a master in his craft of traditional rattan furniture making for decades. Aside from selling classic rattan pieces, the warehouse both Chong & his wife currently runs - Perniagaan Wai Kong also provides repair services, upholstery of cushion, as well as accepts custom orders for wooden and rattan furniture. Chong currently faces slight difficulties in mobility, which gradually slows down the process of his craft. With the help of his wife, Mrs. Chong has been an indispensable accomplice and companion alongside his businesses.

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