IPOH: At 89, Low Chee Wah still begins his mornings at a pre-war shophouse along Lorong Bijeh Timah, in Ipoh’s old town, carefully weaving wood into handmade chick blinds.
Despite his advanced age, Low is keeping alive a craft that has nearly disappeared from the city.
Known as Lau Hooi Kee after his father’s name, the shop was founded by his grandfather and has been producing bidai (chick blinds) for more than half a century.
Sitting on a stool before several sawhorses placed side by side, he selects and shaves each slat with care, fitting it neatly into place before binding, cutting, varnishing and finally fixing the ropes and pulleys.
Though now hard of hearing, Low, a third-generation craftsman, continues the family legacy with remarkable dedication.
“Each blind, depending on the size, can take about two days or more to complete, with sizes ranging up to 3.7m (12ft).
“In my younger days, I supplied blinds to bungalows, schools and factories across Ipoh,” he said when met at the shop.
Now that age is catching up, Low works at a slower pace, though he still insists on painting or varnishing each piece himself in shades of black, brown, or any other colour requested by his customers.
Low said he makes the blinds from scratch using either the bertam (a type of nipah palm) or the jelutong wood.
He said the work not only preserves tradition but also helps him stay fit and alert.
“I do this because I love it, as without it, I would just be sitting idle,” he said.
Low, who is unmarried, lives alone above his shop.
His younger sister Yoon Fong, 74, regularly visits him to handle the shop’s administration work.
However, the future of this century-old craft remains uncertain, as Low prefers not to bring up the topic, as he is still capable of producing the chick blinds himself.
