BUKIT MERTAJAM: Age and the Covid-19 pandemic have not stopped Tan Yang Ling from producing clogs from his humble workshop in Jalan Danby here.
The 75-year-old said there was still demand for the traditional wooden footwear, called kha kiak in the Hokkien dialect, which is usually used in the bathroom or kitchen.
“Chinese couples still use them to decorate their bridal rooms and wear them while praying during the wedding ceremonies.
“Custom-made ones usually take a few days as I need an artist to draw the little flowers on the clogs.
“Some customers want the soles to be painted red and some want them to be adorned with flowers,” he said, adding that a pair of clogs can last up to six to seven months.
Tan was 12 years old when he first picked up the craft from his father.
To make a pair of these “shoes”, he has to first cut out the clogs with a sharp blade.
“After that, I will sand the wooden soles and nail on the plastic uppers.
“I make mostly plain clogs for daily use. I also custom-make for customers,” he said.
In his heyday, Tan could produce over 100 pairs of these traditional clogs a day with his bare hands and simple tools.
Now, the number has lessened to about 40 pairs a day, with the help of a machine blade which saves him time and energy.
“My eyesight has gotten poorer over the years.
“In the old days, I used to cut the wooden sole with an axe but now, I have to rely on a machine blade,” he said.
Tan only returned to the trade early this year, having taken a much deserved one-and-a-half-year break due to the various phases of the movement control order.
For over 60 years, he only took a day off a week, usually on a Sunday.
“Since I fell under the high-risk category, I preferred to rest and watch television programmes at home during the pandemic.
“There were customers who wanted to order clogs but I declined to service them as I did not dare to come to my workshop then.
“Since I have now been fully vaccinated and ‘boostered’, I feel safer,” he said.