The boatbuilder of Pangkor Island

Abstract

This project documents the livelihood of the boatbuilders, in Pangkor Island, Perak, Malaysia. The traditional process of building a boat is a heritage practice that could disappear due to the many issues it currently faces. These traditional boatbuilders do not have a specific blueprint for each boat and these boats are of the classification of 65 to 120 tonnes each based on its license by Department of Fisheries. Currently there are only 5 traditional boatbuilders left on Pangkor Island. The master boatbuilder, upon whom this project is focused, is 69 years old. His children have all gone to work in the cities of Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. Sourcing the wood itself has also been a challenge for the boatbuilders as the woods are sourced in Malaysia and also imported from Indonesia. They use Cengal wood, famous for its strength, which also sets its high price. Deforestation could reduce the stock of these raw materials, such as in Pangkor where there are no more Cengal trees left. Hiring manpower has also become a challenge for the business. All this paints a bleak future for this fading traditional hand crafted wooden boat industry.