CHOO Yew Choon, 65, one of the last rickshaw makers in Penang, is planning to retire from the job he inherited 35 years ago.

The senior citizen is the family’s fourth generation to inherit the business, which has existed for more than a century.

Choo first became directly involved in rickshaw-making and repairs in Penang in 1989 after his father fell ill.

“I used to work in a factory, when my father was sick I came back to help (manage the business). At that time I was 30 years’ old.

“(Now) it’s been 35 years of making and repairing three-wheeled rickshaws and the shop has been around for 100 years. I’m the fourth generation rickshaw maker who inherited the business from my father’s family,” Choo told The Malaysian Insight.

His shop, which is today located on Jalan Pintal Tali in Penang, began operations in 2003 and lasted almost 20 years.

His family business originated at Lebuh Chulia and was sited there for more than 80 years before it had to relocate due to a rise in rental rates.

Given his age, Choo now plans to completely retire from the job of making and repairing rickshaws.

Moreover, neither his children nor heirs want to continue the legacy of the business as the job does not provide a commensurate return.  

“You eventually want to quit when you become old. I no longer have the energy. I will quit in three to five years. It’s tough work.

“The children all work elsewhere. My eldest son did give it a try but a year later he stopped and said he couldn’t do this job.

“This trade requires passion. Without it, there’s no point in teaching them,” the father of three said.  

In fact, some of Choo’s children are already working abroad in Singapore and Thailand.

Choo added that it is difficult for him to find a successor as being a rickshaw maker does not promise lucrative returns.

“There were several people who wanted to learn the trade, but I rejected them. It’s a job that doesn’t bring a lot of profit, has high cost, high rent, and low profit,” he said.

The difficulty in getting spare parts for the rickshaw, which are mostly imported from China and Thailand, is also a factor in Choo considering to retire.

“There are some spare parts that are no longer available, such as rickshaw bells. Any item that uses bicycle spare parts are still available, but spare parts for rickshaws are mostly unavailable nowadays.

“Difficulty in finding spare parts, some of which are no longer manufactured, forced me to look for old, used parts anywhere I can find them.

“Soon, many of them will no longer be available as all these items are mostly handmade,” he said.

Choo said due to his age, he takes a longer time now to complete a rickshaw.

“I still make new rickshaws sometimes. Usually it takes me 20 days to complete a rickshaw, but nowadays it takes me 35 days.

“I work alone, so it can’t be completed within a month. There are also other rickshaws to be repaired,” he said.

Apart from that, orders for new rickshaws are also very few, making it difficult for him to survive.

“A rickshaw now costs RM7,000. There are very few orders nowadays. In a year there are only three to four units of rickshaws, mostly for exhibition. The rickshaw pullers here don’t buy them.

“For this year, there are only two orders so far,” he said.

Apart from orders from within the country, Choo has also received rickshaw orders from foreign tourists and expatriates working in Penang, who wished to bring the ordered rickshaws back to their country.

Choo said his handmade rickshaws have also been delivered to Australia, New Zealand, France and Germany.

“So far I have made more than 100 units of rickshaws,” said Choo.

Choo’s rickshaws are not only made to carry passengers, but also for roadside stall vendors to use.

Each three-wheeled rickshaw, which is produced for the vendors, has to be designed according to the specific requirements and needs of the trader, and is sold for RM7,500 to RM8,000 per unit.

“If the rickshaw is used to sell noodles, then the front part must have two holes, one for frying, the other for cooking. If you sell soup, then there is a hole in the middle.

“Each booking is different depending on the trader’s type of business,” he said.

Helping Choo to keep his business afloat is the Penang government’s allocation for rickshaw pullers to maintain their rickshaws.

The pullers will send their rickshaws for maintenance to Choo and payment will then be made by the state government.

Choo, however, is not sure whether there will be another rickshaw-making shop to replace his shop when he retires eventually.

“As far as I know, there are other rickshaw repair shops, but no rickshaw-making shops other than mine. I don’t know if there is still anyone who makes rickshaws out there.

“(Within) three or four years I will be around 70 years’ old. I don’t know what I will do. I may just retire, enjoy my pension, stay home. That’s the idea but we’ll see what happens,” Choo added. – June 12, 2022.