The journey from Puchong to the Palace of the Golden Horses in Seri Kembangan wasn’t far but, at that moment, it felt like a lifetime.
By the time the Pahang-born artist arrived, his heart pounded louder than his hurried footsteps. Then came the bodyguards – tall, imposing figures flanking the man who could change everything: Lee Kim Yew, the founder of Country Heights.
Rushdi had rehearsed this moment countless times. But now, standing before the billionaire, all the father of three could do was answer: confidently, precisely. He didn’t just need this job; he wanted it.
And then, with a single nod, Lee sealed his fate. “Okay, you got the job. Let’s start.”
It was Rushdi’s biggest project yet: a massive mural on a Boeing 737, featuring Malaysia’s former and current rulers. It even captured the attention of several local news portals – a far cry from the school and kindergarten murals he’d been painting as a side hustle.
That was four years ago. Today, the founder of Tongkang Art Empire turns streets and walls across Malaysia into vibrant, larger-than-life masterpieces. From school corridors to highway pillars, his art has found a home in places he once never imagined stepping into.
But his road to full-time artistry wasn’t always smooth. “Honestly, I took a job in graphic design just to convince my mother-in-law to let me marry my wife!” he shared with a laugh. “I had to show I could earn a stable income.”
For years, he designed brochures and product packaging, but his heart belonged to painting. After all, art ran in his family.
“My dad used to work on bonsai trees – he’d even sketch them first. My brothers and sisters also drew and painted. I became an artist because of them,” Rushdi, a fine-arts graduate from UiTM, told FMT Lifestyle.
As a seven-year-old, he sold hand-drawn cartoons and comic characters to classmates for 20 sen each. “My dad encouraged me to sell them. Surprisingly, my friends actually bought them! And during art class, my artworks were always praised by the teacher.”
But a lucky break during his university days convinced him murals were the way to go. “My lecturer’s wife was a teacher, and she needed a mural for her school. Two big walls. They paid me RM400 for both! At that time, that was huge for me,” he recalled.
“That’s when I thought – hey, I could really do this.”
For three years, he juggled murals on weekends with working full-time. But by 2021, he’d had enough of the corporate grind. His soul wanted to paint. So he took the leap and started his own company – named after his beloved village, Tanjung Tongkang.
Now, with a team of artists under him, Rushdi has carved a thriving career in commercial murals.
“This is way better in terms of payment,” he said with a grin. “No galleries mean no middleman, so I get the full amount. And with commercial jobs, you get paid immediately.”
It’s never dull, either. “We get two to three projects every week at different places. No time to get bored!”
One of his longest projects was a year-long contract with Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), transforming 900 feeder pillars across the city. A friend, struggling to complete the job, enlisted his help. With just a small crew, they started with 100 pillars, painting four to five a day.
The murals, bursting with colour, showcase Malaysia’s rich flora and fauna, turning dull city spaces into lively works of creativity.
Yet, despite the commercial success, Rushdi remains an artist at heart. His Boeing 737 mural remains a favourite – not just because of the big paycheck, but also owing to the creative freedom and challenge it brought.
Looking ahead, he hopes to foster that same creativity among the younger generation by opening an art academy to teach mural painting and organise art-jamming sessions for people to express themselves.
“I want to contribute to the community. It’s not all about making money,” he concluded.