The 71-year-old, better known as Pak Cu, first discovered the craft when he was 12. His passion grew quickly and, by 1968, he had founded his own troupe, Kumpulan Seri Campuran.
Today, Kumpulan Seri Campuran continues to perform – but what makes the troupe stand out is not just its lively shows but its diversity.
Led by Pak Cu, who is of Chinese descent, the group brings together two Chinese and five Malay performers in a show of cultural harmony.
Speaking with Bernama at his home in Kampung Pasir Parit, the father of seven shared that his interest in the art form began while he was still in school.
“Performances were often held in our village and I would go whenever I could,” he recalled. “As a teenager, I would follow tok dalang like Hashim Ali, Paknik Mat and Abdullah to learn how the shows were done.”
Over time, he mastered the essentials of being a tok dalang, including how to masterfully play the instruments, open a performance, and weave in current issues to keep stories lively and relatable.
Each show typically follows a traditional storyline but Pak Cu often adapts elements to suit the occasion, for example by adding patriotic themes during Merdeka celebrations or festive touches during Hari Raya.
“It usually takes about five years to master all the instruments,” he noted. “After that, you learn from a senior tok dalang, who teaches storytelling and how to give each character its own voice.”
For instance, “for a story with five nanny characters, each one must have a different voice”, he explained.
Over the years, Pak Cu has developed up to 120 distinct voices, bringing to life characters ranging from comic figures to warriors and royalty.
His dedication has taken him beyond Malaysia: alongside four loyal members of his troupe, he has performed in Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, France and, most recently, China.
Pak Cu is also skilled in crafting the instruments used in wayang kulit – a skill he picked up in his early 20s. These include the gedombak, geduk, gendang, kerincing, canang and gong.
Additionally, he makes puppets out of cow and goat hide. Depending on the design, it takes anywhere from two days to two weeks to complete one puppet.
“The skin is dried, cleaned, painted and then mounted on a bamboo stick,” Pak Cu outlined.
These handcrafted puppets can sell for between RM200 and RM1,000, depending on their intricacy. Sadly, vision issues have forced him to stop taking orders in the past two years.
Today, his focus has shifted to passing the tradition on to the next generation, starting with his 14-year-old grandson, Eyo Adam.
“I hope he can continue this art so wayang kulit will not be forgotten,” Pak Cu concluded warmly.