Many photographers begin their journeys chasing horizons, capturing distant cities, unfamiliar streets, and foreign histories. But with time and experience, our perspective shifts. We realize that the most profound stories—the ones truly waiting to be uncovered and preserved—belong to the soil that raised us.
Driven by this realization, I set out on a quiet weekend morning, armed only with my 17-40mm and 85mm lenses. I walked the familiar streets of Batu Pahat alone, seeking out old, storied structures and capturing them frame by frame.
Founded in 1894, Batu Pahat is a city deeply anchored in time. Many of its surviving landmarks date back to the early 20th century. Among them are the abandoned 1925 fire station on Jalan Rugayah and rows of pre-WWII two-story shophouses built around 1930 along Jalan Ismail and Jalan Jenang.
While these structures hold immense historical value, many have already succumbed to the relentless march of modernization. The 1953 Kam Sakai (錦世界) building on Jalan Mohd. Akil and the 1920s British colonial bungalows near the Batu Pahat Golf Club are now lost to history.
This series marks the beginning of an ongoing, slow-crafted archive. By documenting these fading architectural echoes in my spare time, I hope these photographs will serve as a visual anchor and a faithful reference for anyone looking back at the history of our hometown.
