2017.
After two decades of quiet collecting, documenting, and teaching, my journey as The Keris Collector finally crossed into the English media — featured by Channel NewsAsia under the headline:
“Defending Malay heritage, one blade at a time.”
It was more than a personal milestone. It marked a bridge — between generations, between languages, between worlds that seldom meet.
While others collected cards and comics in their youth, I collected stories etched in steel — the keris, that living heirloom of our region. By 2017, what began as fascination had grown into a lifelong duty: to preserve, educate, and rekindle appreciation for this intricate symbol of artistry, philosophy, and identity.
I remember thinking, as the photographer adjusted his frame, that perhaps this was how heritage survives — not through grandeur, but through small acts of remembrance. One blade, one story, one honest conversation at a time.
📖 Full article: Channel NewsAsia – Singapore’s Keris Collector defends his Malay heritage one blade at a time