Building the Beca Kuala Lumpur
Documenting the making of Kuala Lumpur’s Beca, designed and built by the 张 Diong family since pre-war Malaya.
The Beca / trishaw / 三輪車 is a bicycle with an extra wheel for a side or front cart that ferries cargo or passengers. There are about eight different makes of the Beca found here, all uniquely Malaysian. Beca were the people’s main transport through the early years of Malaya right up to independence, still used in community markets in the Klang Valley and Peninsular today.
The Beca maker of Kuala Lumpur, the 张 Diong family has been at this trade since before WW2, and now in their 2nd generation with Benny Diong, only until recently. Benny closed down his trade for good at the end of July 2021, along with many other traditional trades due to the prolong pandemic effect on the economy.
With Trades Archive, Jeffrey Lim started a documenting the intangible knowledge on the making, using the custom-made tools & materials. He has apprenticed with Benny Diong, and build an example of a Beca, recording the entire process.
Reflecting the traditional apprenticeship method of ‘眼見功夫 / learning by seeing’, Jeffrey with the support from Joshua Kok, Karafuru Visuals , Tan Shin Jie, Tetawowe Atelier and Dennis Ong, KL Heritage Researcher, will attempt to record the intangible knowledge at a degree of detail not done before, through the use of motion film, digital technical drawings and archival research. Producing a video and publication, with an exhibition to showcase the entire project.
This is a short film, from the 9 videos of interviews, and the building sequence of the Beca, in total of 6 hours of film.
One of the remaining trishaw makers in Penang
Back in the days, Hup Huat Tricycle and Bicycle Repair had to compete with numerous trishaw makers in town but today, the 100-year-old shop is the home to one of the last trishaw makers in George Town.
Around the corner of Jalan Pintal Tali in George Town, owner Choo Yew Choon opens his shop every morning and constantly hopes that a brand new day would bring new trishaw orders. 'Trishaws have no market value anymore. This year, I only make 3-4 trishaws,' says Choo who repairs bicycles and builds hawker tricycles to keep his shop up and running.
It takes Choo approximately 20-30 days to build a trishaw and it is often done alone or with help from other trishaw riders. He begins by sketching a frame work of the trishaw and customising the designs according to customer's requests. Then, he builds the seating and bicycle sections before he paints his final masterpiece and install comfortable cushions. Building a trishaw is not a complicated process for trishaw maker Choo. He says that all you need is the will to learn and adequate practice of assembling different parts of the trishaw.
Now, the market price for each trishaw can go up to RM6,000 and he feels it would go higher due to the fluctuating cost of materials. 'Materials are more expensive now. Even the price of paints increased,' he explains. Despite the high material costs, he tries his best to modify the trishaw to make it better and comfortable for all. 'I modify the bicycle handle and other parts of the trishaw using stainless steel, instead of iron bar,' he says. 'I build the body of the trishaw and bicycle rims myself but not the cushions, of course. You need a specialist to sew it or the cushion lining won't be neat'.