TANJUNG MALIM: Johor Baru once had “Panjang” the pothole fixer.
Now Tanjung Malim has “Loh Mai Kai” – no, not steamed glutinous rice with chicken as the name implies – but a kind soul who helps patch the roads.
“Loh Mai Kai”, whose real name is Chee Siew Kuan, said he fills up roadside holes with construction waste or rocks.
He has been doing this for nearly a decade, he said.
“I used to work in Rasa, Selangor, and returned here in 2016. While riding my bicycle around, I came across potholes on several stretches of roads, especially on Jalan Ketoyong,” Chee said in an interview.
The 69-year-old former labourer said he had witnessed motorcyclists falling off their bikes after hitting potholes.
“For my own safety, and also for other road users, I decided to fill up the potholes with cement block, bricks or rocks,” he said.
Chee, a father of two, said he would make use of dumped construction materials.
“As I get around on a bicycle, I could only move a little bit at a time. I would also use a pail to make it easier to transport rocks or concrete,” he said.
Chee enjoys repairing the roads despite having a heart condition.
“I am used to hard work and can’t stand sitting idly at home.
“Since I have a lot of free time now, I spend hours, sometimes half a day, repairing the roads.
“If I see tree branches jutting out towards the road, I’d also trim them,” Chee said.
He maintains the area around his house by cutting the grass and cleaning the drains.
“The garden waste is used as fertiliser for my plants while sediment and small pebbles gathered from drains are used to fill the gaps or broken parts of drains,” he said.
Chee said he finds inspiration and motivation from his late father’s advice to always help the community whenever possible.
“I take his words to heart. I always think positively. To still have my health and be able to repair the holes, it’s what I can physically offer to the community, as I do not possess any high academic background,” he said.
The burning question remains: why is he known as Loh Mai Kai?
“I don’t remember how I got the nickname but all my friends have been calling me that ever since I was a kid.
“Maybe it was my love for the dish,” he said.
