Wednesday February 18, 2009
House of old-time items
Story and pictures by ZAZALI MUSA
ONE can be forgiven for not showing interest on a single-storey, half-wooden, half-concrete house in Kampung Bumiputera Dalam.
This house, located opposite the wet market in the laid-back town of Rengit in Batu Pahat, Johor, looks like a typical kampung house.
But, it is a treasure trove for antique collectors and those looking for collectibles and knick knacks, and probably the only house-cum-shop selling such items in the village.
Talk-piece: Regular customers Abdul Rahim Moin (left) and Omar Yasin from Johor Baru looking at a three-tiered Teochew basket used in weddings. There is no signboard to show that the house is used for the trade, and most customers discover the house accidentally or are directed there by regulars.
It belongs to Lim Hang Chai, 45, better known as Ah Chai among locals. Lim also runs a fish wholesale business, Syarikat Ikan Kim Hai San.
“I started collecting antiques and things discarded by their owners when I was 14. My first collection was of old Malayan currency and coins,’’ said the father of three in an interview recently.
Down memory lane:lim's children Lim Kok Li(left) and Lim Siek Tong showing a photograph of the late Sultan Johor Almarhum Sultan Sir Ibrahim Iskandr Al-Masyhur ibni Almarhum Sultan Sir Abu Bakar with his consort Sultanah Marcella Mendel and daughter Tunku Meriam. Lim started collecting seriously 25 years ago, and when his collection swelled, he opened a shop adjacent to his house in 2001.
Over the years, he added items to his collection and now, apart from the shop, the items fill part of his house.
Lim sourced the pieces from Johor, Malacca and Singapore and antique owners also came to sell items to him. Other items are collected by his runners.
Memorable:Black and white photographs of members of the Johor family adorning the wall of Lim's house at Kampung Bumiputera Dalam in Rengit, Batu Pahat, Johor. Visitors with a passion for antiques will be delighted to find a wide range of the items at his shop.
Among them are colonial and Straits Chinese furniture, Chinese porcelain, brassware, silverware, decorative plates, vintage oil lamps, charcoal-heated irons and glassware.
There are also old currency notes, coins, vinyl records and old photographs of members of the Johor royal family. Most of the items are between 50 and 100 years old.
Visitors must have patience and an eye for detail when looking around as the items are not arranged in an organised way, unlike at antique shops in Georgetown and Malacca.
For regulars, Lim is more than happy to show his priceless collection, which is locked in cabinets or kept in his bedroom. Unfortunately, the items are not for sale.
“Good antique pieces are now hard to find, compared to when I started. Many owners are not willing to part with them, unless they have a good offer.
“Many are beginning to appreciate antiques, or have started collecting them. To some, antiques remind them of their families and their younger days, or the time of their ancestors,” he said.
Lim added: “Collecting antiques gives me personal satisfaction. Behind every piece is an interesting tale, and I’m glad my children have shown interest in them too,’’ he said.
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