Master carver carries on father's legacy

KOTA BARU: Abdul Latif Long needs no introduction in the local art and traditional craft circles. After more than 50 years in the trade, the master carver and kris maker is still going strong.

The 65-year-old has come a long way since his days in his hometown in Besut, Terengganu, where as a young boy he first learned craftsmanship from his father. His father, Che Long Yusuf, himself a master craftsman who specialised in woodcarving and kris-making, spotted the interest shown by the seventh of his nine children.

"I started carving when I was only 9 years old, and my father, who came from a long line of master carpenters, taught me everything, as he saw my potential in the art. "My father, who lived to be 120 years old, was very proud of me and used to tell his close friends that I would be the only son to continue with his legacy," he said. Latif, the father of 12 children, said after his father's death, he decided to leave his sleepy fishing village for Kota Baru in 1964.

However, it was a struggle to make ends meet at the new place, as he earned only a small income making kris, golok and furniture. He said he finally got his break when he won top prize in woodcarving in a competition organised by the National Art Gallery in 1971.

When orders started flowing in from individuals, the federal and state governments and neighbouring countries such as Brunei, Latif started Pakatan Juru Ukir Tradisional in 1975 with his brothers, Abdul Rahman and Abdullah. He said he made his name first as a kris maker before turning to carving wood panels, doors and furniture. 

His kris, normally crafted out of chengal wood and elephant tusks, were much sought-after items. Many have been presented as gifts to sultans and foreign dignitaries, including Queen Elizabeth II and the sultan of Brunei. As his business grew, Latif decided to set up a new company, called Kelantan Wood Carvings Sdn Bhd, and moved to a 2.4ha site in Pasir Tumbuh. 

He said kris-making had to take a back seat as he received many orders for wood panels, doors, ceilings and furniture from the corporate sector and the government.

Visitors to former Bank Bumiputra branches in London, Hong Kong and Tokyo, or to its headquarters at Jalan Melaka in Kuala Lumpur, have seen evidence of Latif's artistic talents on the walls, ceilings and doors. Other buildings that bear Latif's fingerprints include the Malaysia Airlines office in London, Istana Bukit Kayangan in Shah Alam, Klang Palace, the Selangor state assembly building, Arau palace in Perlis, Istana Balai Besar here, and the Terengganu state museum. His most recent project was the Istana Melawati in Putrajaya, completed early this year.

Latif, who has taught several of the country's renowned kris makers -- including the late Nik Rashiddin Nik Hussein and Norhaiza Noordin -- said that, despite his hectic schedule, kris-making remained close to his heart.

However, one thing that has irked him is the lack of recognition by the authorities in terms of awards and titles for those contributing to the culture and art field. "It is not that we are hard-pressed for awards. But it hurts when you see singers and actors being decorated after only a few years, while many of us are overlooked ,despite spending almost our entire lives preserving the national heritage."

-NST Online.