Club in Gua Musang breaks stereotypes by taking up bonsai gardening

GUA MUSANG: A group of Malay youths here are defying stereotypes by taking up bonsai gardening, which is typically associated with the Chinese community.

“This is Gua Musang” (TIGM) club member Ahmad Kharsani Ariffin, 42, said he fell in love with bonsai creations 23 years ago and inherited the passion from his father.

Ahmad, who is a civil servant, said he owns 100 bonsai miniature trees of various species.

“This hobby has a great effect on my character. All the techniques and skills needed to maintain these miniature trees have trained me to become patient and meticulous in doing things.

“I spend hours engrossed in trimming and shaping a bonsai branch while at home. Maintaining the bonsai makes me think creatively and keeps me in a state of positivity,” he said at his home in Taman Kesedar Jaya here on Wednesday (Nov 8).

Another TIGM member, Amran Hassan, 44, said suitable species for bonsais include attap, ‘bunut’, ‘jeliti’, and ‘kemuning’.

He said the initial process involves twining aluminum wire onto the branches, shoots or trunks.

“So the tree is shaped according to the owner’s creation to make it unique. No two bonsai look alike.

“There is a series of processes to produce a bonsai to the shape that is desired. It includes cutting a tree part, planting, trimming, fertilising, watering and getting enough sunlight,” he explained.

He said bonsai grow more beautiful and artistic as they age, which all depends on the techniques of planting, shaping and caring for them in suitable pots, adding that the most important aspect is for the trees to be small and shady.

Amran said, however, that the hobby requires high capital but added that it it is all worth it when the bonsai become good enough to enter exhibitions and contests after a few years.

“The tools such as the scissors cost between RM100 and RM180 as it is imported from China and Japan, while the wires are up to RM60 per kilogramme. But we have to sacrifice a bit for our passion.

“Sometimes, there are people who wish to buy our creations at exhibitions. The most expensive bonsai we (TIGM) sold was RM5,500. It was a ‘jeliti’ tree that was grown and taken care of for eight years,” he said.

But the price of a bonsai tree is not a measure for bonsai lovers, as the value of patience, attention to detail and aesthetics is far higher, he said. – BK