Nearing the cusp of becoming a nonagenarian – a person between the age of 90 and 99 – 87-year-old Muhammad Firdaus Tea Long bin Abdullah sits gingerly at his stall in Tamu Kianggeh, the capital’s bustling market.
With a warm smile and a childlike glee, he happily sparks conversations with any passer-by who has a moment to spare.
He was featured by our photojournalist Khayr Zakariyya last year for his entrepreneurial journey, but this grandfather of 12 still has many stories and surprises to share – a testament to a life fully lived.
“I began working when I was 12 and did all sorts of jobs, but I eventually started with a company that disposed of scrap metal,” Muhammad Firdaus shared.
“Scrap metal used to cost BND3.60 per kati (a traditional unit of measurement equal to 0.6 kilogrammes), and that was back in the 40s or 50s,” he added, his eyes widening at the memory of that long-ago price.
Muhammad Firdaus carries a strong sense of professionalism and duty when it comes to work. As the child of Chinese immigrants, he was taught early on that one cannot survive without a job – one advice he still holds dear decades later.
Throughout his teens and into his mid-20s, he took on various labour-intensive roles, primarily in construction.
At one point, he worked as a metal painter, figuring out on his own how to remove rust from metal.
He even served as a construction foreman for a time, but by the 1960s, opportunities for a man without formal education were becoming scarce. Yet, that persistent voice in his head always drove him forward.
“If you don’t work, you won’t live. That’s what I’ve always believed. So, when work dried up, I thought I’d try selling vegetables at the market,” the octogenarian shared.
Muhammad Firdaus unknowingly found his lifelong profession when he began selling at the market, adapting to the ebb and flow of market life as new locations in the capital emerged.
For 30 years, he was a fixture at the old Tamu Kianggeh site, a place beloved for its charm and the vibrant parasols that lined the Kianggeh River, from its establishment in the mid-80s until its closure in 2015.
He has since been a vendor at nearly every version of the capital’s markets. From the market once located near the old IBB Takaful Building to the one at Padang Besar in the 70s, today known as Taman Haji Sir Muda Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien, Muhammad Firdaus can recall memories from every ‘tamu bandar’ over the decades.
With a fruit and vegetable stall that seems to dwarf the frail figure of Muhammad Firdaus, he proudly tends to it on his own, occasionally receiving help from his children and grandchildren.
In the twilight years of his life, he earns a decent living – one of the many blessings for which he feels profoundly grateful for.
Five years ago, at the age of 82, he embraced Islam, finding a deeper sense of purpose and gratitude in his life.
For him, blessings are always present for those who strive hard enough. “Always eat your vegetables and avoid too much processed or fried food,” he advised warmly when asked how he maintains his health at his age.
“I also exercise a lot, practising some Chinese martial arts like tai chi – not for fighting, but for the body. It’s wonderful for the back too,” he added.
Ultimately, it is effort and humility that drive the senior citizen. Even after a recent fall due to a wet floor, he refuses to stay home, preferring instead to tend to his customers and sell his wares.
“When there are no customers and nothing to do, I try to strike up a conversation with anyone and everyone who passes by. I make friends,” continued Muhammad Firdaus.
“Whether we talk for a bit or for a long time, I am just happy to share about life,” he added. – Wardi Wasil
