Meet KL's last surviving beca (trishaw)-maker at this archival exhibition

Benny Diong, the last surviving beca-maker in Kuala Lumpur, is the man who put together a new 'KL beca' for the 'Building The Beca - Trades Archive' exhibition at KongsiKL, which runs from April 7-10. Photo: Handout

If you are into history, design, old craftsmanship and documentary work, the Building The Beca - Trades Archive exhibition at KongsiKL, Jalan Klang Lama in Kuala Lumpur, which opens today at 2pm, is not to be missed.

This Building The Beca pilot project, initiated by photographer/cycling activist Jeffrey JC Lim, is part of the Trades Archive programme that is working to document the building of a beca from beginning to end.

From April 7-10, visitors will get a last chance to view the remnants of a beca (trishaw) maker’s workshop, the machinery and custom-made hand tools, used in the making of the unique "KL beca".

Benny Diong, 65, the last surviving beca-maker in Kuala Lumpur, is the man who put the new KL beca together. His KL-based family business (trishaw-building) dates back to post-war Malaya. The business was officially registered in 1946.

Jeffrey Lim (facing camera), who initiated the 'Building The Beca' archival project explaining the beca exhibit's historical design to visitors at KongsiKL. Photo: The Star/Daryl Goh

In an interview with The Star last November, Lim elaborated about the unique "KL beca" design.

“The Diong family design of the beca is a side-cart version, on the left. It is the most ingenious design I have seen among all the makers in Malaysia. Founder Diong Kim Seng made his beca using steel water pipes, so this modular design was very easy to build and fabricate. The positioning between the three wheels and the main load is well-balanced, where the beca remains stable even with a heavy load of over 200kg. Evidence of good design build, is that they are still in use today,” said Lim.

At KongsiKL, the beca project used the original tools and machinery, and the makers sourced raw materials from old suppliers in the capital city. Most of the machinery and tools will be sold off or recycled after this exhibition, with a few hand tools archived.

"Come experience a ride on the newly made beca from the project and take back not only a tool (as a token from the workshop), but an experience of being ridden on the KL beca," reads the exhibition statement.

On display are some of the archival methods: 3D technical drawings, in elevation and isometric by Tan Shin Jie of Tetawowe Atelier, exhibition essay by Dennis Ong, researcher and writer, and the film premiere of six archival videos documenting the build, three interview segments with Benny Diong, and a short film essay by Joshua Kok of Karafuru Visuals.

There will be exhibition tours, presented by Lim, on Saturday and Sunday at 2pm. A dialogue section "Mediums Of Archiving" will be held on Sunday at 5.30pm.

Building The Beca - Trades Archive exhibition is on today and tomorrow at 2pm-10pm, and on the weekend at noon-10 pm.

Trades Archive is a project under the KongsiResidensi (part of KongsiKL's community arts programming).

More info here.