Posts by Azlan:
ibu kota 3. potong kaki
September 27th, 2023It’s a funny thing about comin’ home. Looks the same, smells the same, feels the same. You’ll realize what’s changed is you.
ibu kota. hello boo
September 7th, 2023another weekend outing. this time we strolled around lebuh ampang and the nearby areas. KL was enveloped with the haze that morning. not much light could pass through. I guess that is the price that we have to pay in the name of progress.
ibu kota. enam puluh enam tahun
August 31st, 2023Well, it’s been a while since my last project. More than 7 years ago to be exact. I first set foot in KL in 1993. I can vividly recall the ongoing construction of both the KL Tower and KLCC. It was also an era where the streets of KL were dominated by bas mini.
Fast forward to the present, and it has been approximately 30 years since then. So much have changed. New buildings, new business, new infra, new highways, new malls.
But yet, a few remain untouched.
Terima kasih Kuala Lumpur.
1 7 . 1 0 . 1 8
October 19th, 2018
17.10.18 – Kuala Lumpur to London to Dublin. Adieu.
kl@seven – #6 (Kota Bharu)
April 26th, 2016After 2 weeks of break due to family commitments, I continued my project in a place called Tanah Serendah Sekebun Bunga. It has been a while since I last set my foot here. It is almost exactly 2 years back. This is the only chance that I had to roam the streets of Kota Bharu, as I am tied with work for most of the other days. The photos may not show the true essence of the town but I believe that if we dwell long enough, we will capture its beauty and soul. I will set my foot here again, InsyaAllah. So here are the sevens from Kota Bharu.
This is Pak Zainal. He is 72 and paddles his trishaw everyday from Pantai Cahaya Bulan to the town center. I met him while he was waiting for passengers at Pasar Besar Siti Khadijah. At 72, he said that he is not as strong as before. He will usually get back aches if he paddles for long hours.Today, he has yet to get his first passenger and it’s already past 9 am. “Tak tentu” he told me. Pak Zainal told that he does not have many children. Only 5 to be exact. I told him that if it were to go by Kelantan’s standards, then 5 is still small, but big if measured to KL’s standards,
At his age, it is a pity that he has to work, but sometimes parents just do not want to depend on their children and prefer to earn for themselves. I believe that is what “Projek Sara Hidup” means.
kl@seven – #5
April 4th, 2016After a week break, I once again wandered the streets of KL. Early yesterday I went around the Malays’ premier settlement in KL, the Kampung Baru. Kampung Baru, the only traditional village left in the city center, is well-known for its foods galore especially nasi lemak, i.e. Nasi Lemak Mak Wanjor and the once popular Nasi Lemak Antarabangsa as well as other equally good roadside stalls serving roti canai, lontong and local kuehs. Didn’t know what to expect, I strolled along the silent road. I first reach the newly reconstructed Masjid Jamek Kampung Baru where the early morning kuliah was still going on. Stayed in the mosque’s compound for a good few minutes before I went towards the Pintu Gerbang Kampung Baru. Several traders were seen setting up their stalls at the pasar karat which takes place every weekends. Most of them were selling pre-owned/bundle goods. So, here are the sevens.
This is Pak Anjang. He is from Ipoh and has been making a living in KL for more than 30 years. Pak Anjang previously worked in a private company where he later decided to work in the public sector. It did take long as after only 3 years he quit the government office as it did not match his personality. He decided to start his own business and became a stone and ring trader. There are a lot of asam garam in business he told. He once had a small shop in Masjid India, but the flooding of immigrants in that area is not doing any good to his business as they become a constant nuisance in the area. And being a “zikir” person, his fellow neighbours in Masjid India were not very happy too, as most of them practices black rituals. That was when he decided to move out and ply his trades in different places. He will mostly be in Kampung Baru for a couple of weeks and move around between Taman Melawati, Bangi and Sri Rampai during the other days. He only set up his stall 3 times a week. He sources most of the precious stones from Burma (Myanmar). The stones are priced from few ringgits to thousands or hundred thousands of ringgit. He kept most of his precious stones away as thieves are always on the lurk. And Pak Anjang believes that a right buyer will someday come for his most precious stones.
