The Life Story of PAK IEK

• Prize
• Photographer
  JEFFLIN, Malaysia
• Studio
  JEFFLIN

This is the life story of Pak Iek, everyone call his name as Pak Iek,
who stay at northern Malaysia, a small village which producing
latex of rubber and palm oil. Pak Iek about 70 years old. Pak Iek
work as a rubber tapper, he started work at his rubber mound at
very early morning of 2am everyday. I was attracted by his work
and interested to know what kind of workplace he be. I was
followed him to his rubber hill about 1 hour from his house. Pak
Iek is a kind people, he guide me to his rubber hill carefully. The
rubber tree was parallel stand among the hill, Pak Iek told me that
he using 10 yeas to grew out the tree for the harvest. The harvest
is only USD 10 per day. Pak Iek start his daily work and I just
followed his step and captured every moments created by him.
Firstly, he using the special knife created by him to tapped the
rubber tree's skin and the tree latex come out and follow the way
flow into the cup. After few hours pass. The latex will stop flow,
then Pak Iek will start to gather back the latex from the cup by one
by one from every trees. The job is tough and hard. Day by day, he
work the same job nearly 50 years. As a photographer, I always
been inspired by the people who created a touch story to me.
What can I do is captured the moment I saw and I feel, interpret it
to become touch story. This is touch moment with Pak Iek, he
living in a tough environment but he felt happiness, he done a
completely pretty job in his life, as a respectful father for 4
children, a nice husband for his wife. Why not us?

Awards www.jefflinphotography.com