# The Keris Collector

> Preserve Through Discovery


## Posts

- [Respect the Teacher. Question the Authority.](https://thekeriscollector.com/respect-the-teacher-question-the-authority/): A recent Singapore court case involving a silat instructor and a 14-year-old student should not become an indictment of silat.
- [Stop the Scam Before It Reaches the Victim](https://thekeriscollector.com/stop-the-scam-before-it-reaches-the-victim/): Meta says it acted against more than 3.6 million dormant "shell pages" identified through intelligence shared with the Singapore Police Force before those pages could be deployed in scam campaigns.
- [AI Is a Labour Issue. Fear Is Not a Labour Strategy.](https://thekeriscollector.com/ai-is-a-labour-issue-fear-is-not-a-labour-strategy/): A recent Workers Make Possible video raises legitimate questions about surveillance, retrenchment and who benefits when AI raises productivity.
- [Your Employer Is Not Your Retirement Plan!](https://thekeriscollector.com/your-employer-is-not-your-retirement-plan/): Singapore’s latest retrenchment figures do not show a labour market in collapse, nor do they prove that AI is taking everyone’s job.
- [A Tourist Sees Singapore Before I Get to Explain It!](https://thekeriscollector.com/a-tourist-sees-singapore-before-i-get-to-explain-it/): Becoming a licensed tourist guide has changed the way I look at ordinary Singapore.
- [AI Slop”? Show Me Where the Argument Fails](https://thekeriscollector.com/ai-slop-show-me-where-the-argument-fails/): AI slop is real. So is bad human writing.
- [The Next Terrorist Cell May Be One Person With a Phone.](https://thekeriscollector.com/the-next-terrorist-cell-may-be-one-person-with-a-phone/): In 2002, Singapore confronted terrorist cells, handlers, reconnaissance and regional networks. Those threats have not disappeared.
- [I Want Singapore to Stay Hard on Drugs. Yes, Even When the Punishment Is Death.](https://thekeriscollector.com/i-want-singapore-to-stay-hard-on-drugs-yes-even-when-the-punishment-is-death/): I Want Singapore to Stay Hard on Drugs. Yes, Even When the Punishment Is Death.
- [2025 Essays Are Coming Back, But Not As Simple Reposts.](https://thekeriscollector.com/2025-essays-are-coming-back-but-not-as-simple-reposts/): I have started republishing selected writing from 2025 on The Keris Collector website under a new Revisited archive.
- [Your Name Is on the Cover. Did You Do the Thinking? ](https://thekeriscollector.com/your-name-is-on-the-cover-did-you-do-the-thinking/): An AI detector can tell you that writing resembles machine-generated text.
- [Before We Turn a Statistical Pattern Into a Corruption Scandal](https://thekeriscollector.com/before-we-turn-a-statistical-pattern-into-a-corruption-scandal/): Did Singapore Civil Servants Really Trade on MRT Secrets?
- [Singapore’s Racial Harmony Is Too Valuable to Defend Only After It Breaks.](https://thekeriscollector.com/singapores-racial-harmony-is-too-valuable-to-defend-only-after-it-breaks/): The Most Dangerous Racial Agitator May Not Even Be in Singapore. The Law Can Restrict the Agitator. Singaporeans Must Stop the Amplification.
- [I Do Not Want Cheap Ministers. I Want Accountable Ones.](https://thekeriscollector.com/i-do-not-want-cheap-ministers-i-want-accountable-ones/): Million-Dollar Ministers? Ask What Singapore Gets in Return.
- [The Real Test of Singapore Begins When Times Get Hard](https://thekeriscollector.com/the-real-test-of-singapore-begins-when-times-get-hard/): Economic Anxiety Is Real. Racial Scapegoating Is Still a Choice.
- [Malaysia Will Choose Its Politics. Singapore Must Protect What Works Here.](https://thekeriscollector.com/malaysia-will-choose-its-politics-singapore-must-protect-what-works-here/): Malaysia Will Choose Its Politics. Singapore Must Protect What Works Here.
- [Before I Trust Your Platform, Tell Me Who You Are](https://thekeriscollector.com/before-i-trust-your-platform-tell-me-who-you-are/): You want my bank details. I want to know who you are first.
- [Gandhi. Slavery. Freedom fighters. Gaza. And a few kites at Marina Barrage.](https://thekeriscollector.com/gandhi-slavery-freedom-fighters-gaza-and-a-few-kites-at-marina-barrage/): Gandhi. Slavery. Freedom fighters. Gaza. And a few kites at Marina Barrage.
- [On Verbosity](https://thekeriscollector.com/on-verbosity/): Not everything I write is meant to be short.
- [Your Cause Does Not Put You Above Singapore’s Laws](https://thekeriscollector.com/your-cause-does-not-put-you-above-singapores-laws/): Singaporeans should be free to criticise the Government, support Palestine, oppose capital punishment and campaign for laws to change.
- [A Singaporean Does Not Need Your Racial Approval](https://thekeriscollector.com/a-singaporean-does-not-need-your-racial-approval/): Singapore can survive disagreement. It cannot safely normalise the idea that citizenship comes in racial grades.
- [Navigating Singapore's Weapons Regulations for Collectors](https://thekeriscollector.com/navigating-singapores-weapons-regulations-for-collectors/): A 19.5 cm object.
- [28 Aug 2026 - Stuck Keris Blade? Don’t Force It.](https://thekeriscollector.com/2026-aug-28-stuck-keris-blade-dont-force-it/): A firm knock at the right spot on the batang serunai may be all it takes to release the blade without damaging the fittings.
- [Iron From the Sky?](https://thekeriscollector.com/iron-from-the-sky/): Meteoritic iron is real. Ancient people really used it.
- [2026 - When Someone Else Asks the Questions: My Conversation with Raja Razie on RR.Unscripted](https://thekeriscollector.com/raja-razie-rr-unscripted-keris-collector/): Most of the time, I am the one deciding which story to tell.
- [eBook - 20th Century Impressions of British Malaya](https://thekeriscollector.com/ebook-20th-century-impressions-of-british-malaya/)
- [A Rock That Didn’t Begin Here](https://thekeriscollector.com/a-rock-that-didnt-begin-here/): A newly acquired 2.5kg stony iron meteorite joins the collection. Dense, magnetic, and nickel-positive, it invites both scientific curiosity and quiet reflection. This post explores identification basics, the temptation to slice it open, and the strange calm of holding a fragment of deep cosmic time.
- [A Wall That Remembers](https://thekeriscollector.com/a-wall-that-remembers/): The content reflects on a 2026 tear-off calendar featuring the horse, symbolizing swift success. Instead of discarding it, the author preserves it on a wall filled with personal memorabilia, emphasizing the importance of tangible reminders of life experiences. This chaotic yet meaningful display serves as a living archive, highlighting enduring values.
- [The Blue Tick, and What It Actually Means](https://thekeriscollector.com/the-blue-tick-and-what-it-actually-means/): Our Social Media Assets within Meta services; Facebook, Instagram and Threads are Verified!
- [2025 - Channel News Asia | Hobsessions: Blades of Passion](https://thekeriscollector.com/2025-channel-news-asia-hobsessions-blades-of-passion/): When Hobsessions: Blades of Passion aired on Sunday, 14 December 2025 at 8.30pm on Channel NewsAsia, I watched it with the same quiet mix of pride and curiosity as everyone else.
- [Rail Corridor Trail: What Nature Shows When You Slow Down](https://thekeriscollector.com/rail-corridor-trail-what-nature-shows-when-you-slow-down/): I took a slow walk through the northern rail corridor recently, starting at Yew Tee and ending near Kranji Reservoir after passing the War Memorial and State Cemetery.
- [A One-Minute Win and the Illusion of Safety](https://thekeriscollector.com/a-one-minute-win-and-the-illusion-of-safety/): Earlier today, I wrapped up an online chess game in under a minute.
- [A New Mystery Arrives On My Desk](https://thekeriscollector.com/a-new-mystery-arrives-on-my-desk/): There’s a small thrill that comes with a new hardcover arriving by courier.
- [The Ritual of Wrapping Books: One Story at a Time](https://thekeriscollector.com/the-ritual-of-wrapping-books-one-story-at-a-time/): There’s a kind of ritual I’ve come to cherish, especially when a fresh stack of books arrives. It doesn’t involve reading, not yet.
- [The Quiet Art of Ex-Libris: A Personal Reflection](https://thekeriscollector.com/the-quiet-art-of-ex-libris-a-personal-reflection/): I grew up in a time when ex-libris bookplates were still quietly present in homes and personal libraries.
- [A Library You Can Walk Into Without Knocking](https://thekeriscollector.com/a-library-you-can-walk-into-without-knocking/): I’ve always believed that a collection tells people more about us than any biography ever could.
- [A Book Arrives: Melayu Mahawangsa](https://thekeriscollector.com/a-book-arrives-melayu-mahawangsa/): Earlier this afternoon, a package arrived by courier. No fanfare, no prior hint. Just a quiet delivery left at the door.
- [In Memory of Emeritus Professor Datuk Dr. Ahmat Adam](https://thekeriscollector.com/in-memory-of-emeritus-professor-datuk-dr-ahmat-adam/): Today, I received the deeply saddening news that Datuk Dr Ahmat Adam, one of Malaysia’s most respected historians and critical thinkers, has passed away.
- [Ink of the Unbroken: Masuri S.N. and the Sacred Fire of Conscience](https://thekeriscollector.com/ink-of-the-unbroken-masuri-s-n-and-the-sacred-fire-of-conscience/): In an age saturated with ideological noise and cultural distraction, the quiet moral courage of literary figures like Masuri S.N. is not just rare; it is vital.
- [A Beginner's Guide: Top Five Keris Collected In Singapore](https://thekeriscollector.com/a-beginners-guide-top-five-keris-collected-in-singapore/): Have you ever wondered which keris styles are the most sought after by collectors in Singapore?
- [A Beginner's Guide: Starting A Keris Collection In Singapore](https://thekeriscollector.com/a-beginners-guide-starting-a-keris-collection-in-singapore/): So, you’ve thought about collecting keris.
- [Eulogy for Emeritus Professor Dr. John N. Miksic](https://thekeriscollector.com/eulogy-for-professor-john-n-miksic/): I first met Professor Miksic in 2004, during the archaeological excavation at St Andrew’s Cathedral.
- [2022 - Berita Harian | Tingginya IlmuTeknologi Melayu Terbukti Dalam Pembuatan Keris](https://thekeriscollector.com/2022-berita-harian-tingginya-ilmuteknologi-melayu-terbukti-dalam-pembuatan-keris/): 2022- Berita Harian | Another Feature In Local News!
- [2021 - Mediacorp Berita Jam 8 | PBS Television News Feature](https://thekeriscollector.com/2021-mediacorp-berita-jam-8-pbs-television-news-feature/): 2021- MediaCorp Berita Jam 8 | Finally Featured Here!
- [eBook - Origins Of The Malay Keris](https://thekeriscollector.com/ebook-origins-of-the-malay-keris/)
- [eBook - Tulang Mawas Re-Examined](https://thekeriscollector.com/ebook-tulang-mawas-re-examined/)
- [2017 - Channel News Asia | Singapore’s Keris Collector Defends His Malay Heritage One Blade At A Time](https://thekeriscollector.com/2017-channel-news-asia-singapores-keris-collector-defends-his-malay-heritage-one-blade-at-a-time/): 2017 - Channel News Asia | Finally Featured Here!
- [2019 - Mediacorp Warna 94.2 | PBS Live On Air Radio Feature](https://thekeriscollector.com/2019-mediacorp-warna-94-2-live-on-air-radio-feature/): 2019 - MediaCorp Radio Warna 94.2 | Finally Featured Here!
- [eBook - Senjata Tradisional Daerah Sulawesi Selatan](https://thekeriscollector.com/ebook-senjata-tradisional-daerah-sulawesi-selatan/)
- [eBook - Katalog Koleksi Pusaka TBMPC](https://thekeriscollector.com/ebook-katalog-koleksi-pusaka-tbmpc/)
- [eBook - Keris: Materi Muatan Lokal Bidang Kebudayaan](https://thekeriscollector.com/ebook-keris-materi-muatan-lokal-bidang-kebudayaan/)
- [eBook - Nilai Didaktis Keris Nusantara](https://thekeriscollector.com/ebook-nilai-didaktis-keris-nusantara/)
- [2014 - Berita Harian | Taman Pentas Budaya Dan Riadah](https://thekeriscollector.com/2014-berita-harian-taman-pentas-budaya-dan-riadah/): A decade after my early adventures with relics, I found myself on a different kind of field — not a site of excavation, but a garden, surrounded by children, families, and fellow heritage enthusiasts.
- [2007 - Berita Harian | Masyarakat DiAjak Sertai Usaha Perkaya Warisan](https://thekeriscollector.com/2007-berita-harian-masyarakat-diajak-sertai-usaha-perkaya-warisan/): Berita Harian ran a story that marked another turning point in my journey — the founding of Relic Hunters Singapore, and the beginning of something larger than a hobby.
- [2005 - Berita Minggu | Cari Harta Karun](https://thekeriscollector.com/2005-berita-minggu-cari-harta-karun/): The year was 2005.
- [1996 - Berita Harian | Negara Maju Dengan Rakyat Bermoral Tinggi](https://thekeriscollector.com/1996-berita-harian-negara-maju-dengan-rakyat-bermoral-tinggi/): Throwback to 1996.
- [The Seven Tools of Mastery: Reinterpreting the Symbolism of Besi Tujuh Pa](https://thekeriscollector.com/the-seven-tools-of-mastery-reinterpreting-the-symbolism-of-besi-tujuh-pa/): Across the Malay world, the keris is more than a weapon. It is an artifact of layered meaning, shaped by tradition, infused with symbolism, and wrapped in myth.
- [Majapahit and the Myth of a Malay Empire: Setting the Record Straight](https://thekeriscollector.com/majapahit-and-the-myth-of-a-malay-empire-setting-the-record-straight/): I first published this essay on Facebook on 6 July 2025.
- [The Golden Ratio & The Keris: A Spiralling Fallacy](https://thekeriscollector.com/the-golden-ratio-the-keris-a-spiralling-fallacy/): I originally published this essay on Facebook on 6 July 2025.
- [Tun Abdul Jamil and the Myth of Heroism: Reading Between the Lines of History](https://thekeriscollector.com/tun-abdul-jamil-and-the-myth-of-heroism-reading-between-the-lines-of-history/): I first published this essay on Facebook on 6 July 2025.
- [The Golden Ratio and the Keris: Measurement, Pattern-Seeking and the Burden of Proof](https://thekeriscollector.com/the-golden-ratio-and-the-keris-measurement-pattern-seeking-and-the-burden-of-proof/): I originally published the following short piece on Facebook on 5 July 2025.
- [Between Legend and History: Rethinking Hang Tuah with Facts, Not Fantasies](https://thekeriscollector.com/between-legend-and-history-rethinking-hang-tuah-with-facts-not-fantasies/): I first published this essay on Facebook on 5 July 2025.
- [Was the Malay World Truly a Trading Powerhouse?](https://thekeriscollector.com/was-the-malay-world-truly-a-trading-powerhouse/): I first published this essay on my Facebook page on 4 July 2025.
- [Mat Kilau: When Legend Becomes a Substitute for History](https://thekeriscollector.com/mat-kilau-when-legend-becomes-a-substitute-for-history/): I first published this essay on my Facebook page on 3 July 2025.
- [Romancing Spices: The Danger of Oversimplified History](https://thekeriscollector.com/romancing-spices-the-danger-of-oversimplified-history/): I first published this essay on my Facebook page on 2 July 2025.
- [License To Possess Weapons In Singapore](https://thekeriscollector.com/license-to-possess-weapons-in-singapore/): Effective 1st July 2025, a license to possess weapons will be required to keep a collection in Singapore. Watch the following explainer video for more details.
- [2024, September 8 | Geylang Serai Heritage Gallery Open House](https://thekeriscollector.com/2024-2/): The keris, a distinctive cultural emblem indigenous to the Malay Archipelago, has long been associated with warriors, shamans and mysticism, enveloping it in an aura of mystery.

## Pages

- [Discover](https://thekeriscollector.com/discover/): The Keris Collector explores the keris, material culture and Southeast Asian heritage through objects, research, observation and interpretation.
- [Contact The Keris Collector](https://thekeriscollector.com/contact/): Whether you are enquiring about a heritage experience, collector advisory, cultural consultation, talk, research project or collaboration, a little context helps us respond more usefully.
- [Advisory](https://thekeriscollector.com/advisory/): The Keris Collector provides enquiry-based advisory where experience with keris, traditional arms, material culture and heritage interpretation can contribute useful context.
- [Collector Advisory](https://thekeriscollector.com/collector-advisory/): What exactly am I looking at?
- [Experiences](https://thekeriscollector.com/experiences/): The Keris Collector creates private and small-group cultural experiences for visitors who want to move beyond familiar sightseeing narratives.
- [Kampong Glam: The Seat of Malay Royalty](https://thekeriscollector.com/kampong-glam/): Kampong Glam is one of Singapore’s most recognisable heritage districts.
- [Lunch With The Keris Collector](https://thekeriscollector.com/lunch-with-the-keris-collector/): Some of the best conversations about culture do not happen inside museums.
- [Private Experiences](https://thekeriscollector.com/private-experiences/): Not every visitor arrives with the same questions.
- [Cultural & Production Advisory](https://thekeriscollector.com/production-advisory/): The Keris Collector supports film, television, publishing, exhibition, media and creative projects requiring contextual understanding of keris, traditional arms, material culture and related heritage.
- [Research & Collaboration](https://thekeriscollector.com/research-collaboration/): The Keris Collector welcomes research and collaborative enquiries involving keris, traditional arms, material culture, heritage interpretation and related areas of Southeast Asian cultural history.
- [Singapore Beyond The Postcard](https://thekeriscollector.com/singapore-beyond-the-postcard/): Singapore is often presented through a familiar set of images.
- [Talks & Workshops](https://thekeriscollector.com/talks-workshops/): The Keris Collector develops talks and workshops around keris, collecting, material culture, heritage interpretation and the wider cultural worlds connected to them.
- [About The Keris Collector](https://thekeriscollector.com/about/): A collector-led cultural practice built around objects, evidence and the stories connecting them to people and place.
- [Disclaimer](https://thekeriscollector.com/youtube-channel-disclaimer/): Thank you for watching, reading and supporting The Keris Collector.
- [PDPA](https://thekeriscollector.com/data-protection-notice/): This Data Protection Notice (“Notice”) sets out the basis which THE KERIS COLLECTOR | UEN: 53530437D (“we”, “us”, or “our”) may collect, use, disclose or otherwise process personal data of our customers in accordance with the Personal Data Protection Act (“PDPA”).
- [PRESENTATION](https://thekeriscollector.com/presentation-decks/): For reference, here are my presentation decks for past events for reference and posterity.
- [EXPERIENCE SINGAPORE BEYOND THE OBVIOUS](https://thekeriscollector.com/licensed-to-guide/): Hi, I’m Khairi Johari.
- [CONSULT](https://thekeriscollector.com/consult/): A focused, paid session for serious conversations. No noise. No speculation. Just clarity, experience, and grounded advice.
- [BLOG](https://thekeriscollector.com/blog/): There are days when life is filled with meetings, projects, readings, conversations, and the little discoveries that come along the way.
- [JOFE](https://thekeriscollector.com/jofe/): Khairi Johari, better known as Pak JoFe, is the founder of The Keris Collector.
- [Media & Appearances](https://thekeriscollector.com/news/): The Keris Collector has participated in media, interviews, talks, heritage programmes and collaborative projects that bring keris, material culture and heritage interpretation to wider audiences.
- [EVENTS](https://thekeriscollector.com/events/): This page lists upcoming and selected past events involving The Keris Collector, Pak JoFe and related cultural programmes.
- [RESOURCES](https://thekeriscollector.com/resources/): The Keris Collector brings together useful sources for readers who want to move beyond summaries and follow the evidence for themselves.
- [VIDEOS](https://thekeriscollector.com/videos/): The Keris Collector produces videos on keris, collecting, material culture, heritage, research and practical object knowledge.
- [ESSAYS](https://thekeriscollector.com/essays/): The Keris Collector publishes essays that begin with objects, questions, claims and historical problems.
- [COLLECTION](https://thekeriscollector.com/collection/): The Keris Collector collection has been built over decades through collecting, comparison, research and continuing study.
- [KERIS](https://thekeriscollector.com/keris/): The keris is one of Southeast Asia’s most recognisable traditional arms, but understanding it simply as a weapon leaves much of its story unexplored.

## Optional

- [Agent (MCP protocol)](websites-agents.hostinger.com/thekeriscollector.com/mcp)

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