The finished furniture made by Muhammad Akmal and Muhammad Shafiq displayed at a crafts festival.
OPPORTUNITIES often drift by unnoticed but Muhammad Shafiq Ahmad Badar recognised one when he saw it.
After seeing decaying wood drifting in the water around a mangrove forest, Muhammad Shafiq was inspired to do something different and left his nine-to-five job.
The former land surveyor, 27, is now making furniture and handicrafts from the driftwood he finds.
Muhammad Shafiq said his interest in carving driftwood was influenced by his mentor, Azahari Abd Jamal, 43, who is also a former land surveyor.
“I was going about my business when I came across a very unusual-looking driftwood.
“Each piece of wood that we collect has its own shape.
“I enjoy being creative when working on them,” he said at Azahari’s workshop in Pekan Air Panas, Labis in Johor.
Muhammad Shafiq said a piece of driftwood might take about a week to be cleaned, carved and made into furniture, depending on its size.
“We are fortunate that our workshop is in a village that is close to a forest, so there are plenty of natural resources to use as raw materials.
“The time taken to produce handcrafts differs.
“For smaller pieces, it might take just days while larger ones might take weeks,” he said, adding that he once sold a driftwood table for RM10,000.
Muhammad Shafiq, who started his venture back in 2014, is currently mentoring his apprentice, Muhammad Akmal Abu Bakar, 17.
Muhammad Akmal said he started at the workshop as a helper in April 2020, when school was closed due to the movement control order.
“I wanted to help my family earn some income. Before I knew it, I developed a passion for the craft,” said the teenager.
“Other jobs haven’t made me feel as fulfilled.
“We receive orders all the time, especially during crafts festivals,” he said.
Some of the wood they used were merbau, chengal and balau, he added.
