But that was four decades ago. Today, Rusman, 57, stands as Terengganu’s sole traditional glass craftsman – and among the few remaining in the entire country.

Learning the art, he said, was the best thing that happened to him as it stopped him from risking his life on the roads and instead earn a proper living.

Now, having practised this heritage craft for nearly 40 years, the father of three wears a proud smile as his glass carvings, produced under his brand Kumin Kraf, are popular among art enthusiasts locally and abroad.

Met recently at his workshop at the Noor Arfa Craft Complex here, Rusman revealed he’d not entered into this field by choice: rather, he’d been forced into it by a cousin who had not wanted to see him wasting time with fellow illegal racers.

“I started learning glass crafting in 1989 from a Chinese man on Jalan Kia Peng in Kuala Lumpur,” he recalled. “At first, I wasn’t interested at all. But, over time, as I got comfortable handling the tools as well as the heat, and watched how glass could transform into something beautiful – I fell in love with it.”

Using glass imported from China and Japan, Rusman crafts a wide variety of captivating sculptures suitable as souvenirs, gifts, or home ornaments.

He can produce between 20 and 30 small sculptures a day, and keeps his prices affordable so more people can own a piece of his art.

Explaining the process, Rusman said he uses the lampwork technique, which involves heating and melting glass with a lamp or torch. Then, with the help of special tools, he shapes it into animals, letters of the alphabet, or other items.

“Pyrex glass is more expensive but it’s heat-resistant and better suited for detailed work, compared with soda glass, which melts easily and is more fragile,” he noted.

Glass crafting, of course, demands a high level of patience and caution as the risk of injury is ever-present. “I myself have been injured many times,” he said.

Asked about challenges, Rusman said there is lack of interest in this traditional craft: most young people drop out as they cannot endure the intense heat.

“As far as I know, I’m the only active glass craftsman in Terengganu. All over Malaysia, there may not even be 10 of us left,” said Rusman, who once considered quitting but held on out of a sense of duty to preserve the art form.

With this in mind, Rusman is ready to pass on his knowledge to the next generation so the craft does not die out.

“I hope the government and relevant agencies can step in to reintroduce glass art to the community, whether through training, incentives or awareness campaigns,” he said.

“I’d like to see it come alive again. In countries like China, glass art is celebrated – but here, we don’t even seem to care.”