Memories of the Soo Peng Hang Press

 

I recently had a visitor from the US who was keen to explore more about Johor’s culture and heritage. After we visited a bookshop and the Sultan Ismail Library, I thought that he would be interested to see some vintage books on Johor at Galeri Sejarah Johor or the Johor History Gallery.

 

Facade of Soo Peng Hang Press [Right]
at No. 48 Jalan Wong Ah Fook, Johor Bahru

My visitor, Professor Sanjay Krishnan from Boston University, whose teaching and researching interests included Post-Colonial and World Literatures, responded with much interest when I suggested to check out a collection of old books at the Gallery.

 

Professor Sanjay had read Encouraging the Reading Habit a piece I published in 2017, from My Johor Stories blog and was in search of some old books that he once read at the Sultan Ismail Library when it was then located in downtown Johor Bahru, next to the main Post Office. His quest for these old books brought him to Johor Bahru again.

 

The signboard for Soo Peng Hang
Press was faded but the
Chinese version is still legible

He said that in his previous visit to Johor Bahru, he managed to buy a copy of My Johor Stories: True Tales, Real People, Rich Heritage, from the small stock available from JARO, or Johor Area Rehabilitation Organisation.

 

In this visit, he was pleased to get a copy of My Johor Stories 3: Proudly Johor, Then and Now, the third and final instalment of the trilogy of My Johor Stories from JARO, and had me autograph it for him.

 

[After the global pandemic, all the MPH bookstores in Johor Bahru were closed so I obtained permission from MPH to keep a stock of books for sale in Johor.]

 

On our way to the Gallery, I gave Prof Sanjay a brief introduction to Mohd Fariz Johari, the curator of Galeri Sejarah Johor. For his passion in seeking and discovering ancient artifacts, he was nicknamed Johor’s own, “Indiana Jones.”

 

I explained that this young man started to showcase his private collection of Johor artifacts in the mall and over time as his collection increased, this space gradually expanded to a wider wing on Level One.

 

Then when Mohd Fariz Johari discovered the trilogy of My Johor Stories, he bought a set of my books to add to his collection of books on Johor in the Gallery.

 

Professor Sanjay Krishnan [Right]
at the Galeri Sejarah Johor

I also prepared Professor Sanjay to see an eclectic mix of artifacts which may not be clearly labelled but it would be interesting for vintage treasure-seekers to browse around and hear interesting anecdotes from the gallery assistants.

 

So when we arrived at the Gallery, I let the helpful gallery assistant escort my visitor around while I made a quick survey to see what was “new” among the artifacts.

 

A glance around showed me that there was a great number of additions to the collection. I was able to identify the familiar vintage photographs of the Johor royal family members and scenes of Johor Bahru in a bygone era, inherited from the former Johore Heng Photo Studio.

 

In 2023, this vintage photo studio was among the destinations of heritage traders featured in My Johor Stories Heritage Walks but as it was a sunset trade, the family who used to run this photo studio, decided to cease its operations in 2024.

 

I am pleased that I have documented the story of the Johore Heng Photo Studio in My Johor Stories 2: Interesting Places and Inspirational People.

 

Among the “new” artifacts I saw in the collection was a cloth banner woven with Chinese characters draped over the door of a wooden wardrobe. I do not read Chinese but I was able to deduce that it should be from the now defunct, Soo Peng Hang Press, one of the earliest printing companies in Johor Bahru.

 

Samples of kuda calendar with the
Soo Peng Hang Press brand

It was an intelligent deduction because this banner was on the same wooden wardrobe where I saw samples of old kuda calendars printed with the Soo Peng Hang brand, hanging there. These one-month-at-a-glance, traditional calendars earned its name from the horses printed on the dates when there were horse-races.

 

On a shelf inside the wardrobe, I saw used pieces of ceramic moveable types used for typesetting. The sight of these items convinced me that they came from the Soo Peng Hang Press.

 

When I lead groups of participants of My Johor Stories Heritage Walks along the promenade designed parallel to Jalan Wong Ah Fook, I would pause along this route to share interesting information on Johor culture and heritage.

 

Among the stops I made along this promenade was a spot opposite the row of shophouses where the Soo Peng Hang Press was once located at No. 48 Jalan Wong Ah Fook. The paint on the old signboard was faded but the faint outline of its name, at least the Chinese version, was still legible.

 

Used pieces of ceramic moveable types
used for typesetting

Flashback to mid-March 2015, ahead of the coronation of Sultan Ibrahim of Johor on 23 March 2015, I had the privilege to meet with Soo Kok Wah, a member of the Soo family who shared with me, his recollections in Coronation Memories.

 

I did not know then that in 2017, I would be involved with a book project in partnership with Think City Johor Bahru, to document the heritage story of the Soo Peng Hang Press.

 

In 2019, this hardcover publication was launched in a simple ceremony witnessed by members of the Soo family. It was uncanny that I had a personal connection with this book project because my dad’s first job was as a typesetter.

 

While I was sad that the Soo family was not able to open their defunct printing press as a heritage gallery, I trust that these artifacts should trigger off recollections of this fine art of printing in a bygone era before the invention of modern printing technology.

 

Visit the Galeri Sejarah Johor for your own glimpse of the artifacts from the Soo Peng Hang Press, the Johore Heng Photo Studio and an array of other heritage items.

 

Galeri Sejarah Johor is at Lot 120, Level One of Komtar JBCC Mall, Jalan Wong Ah Fook, 80000 Johor Bahru, Johor. Open daily from 10am to 10pm. Free Entry.

 

Meanwhile, My Johor Stories books are available from MPH bookstores nationwide and online from mphonline.

 

In Johor Bahru, my books are available at Johor Area Rehabilitation Organisation (JARO) located at Jalan Sungai Chat, Sri Gelam, 80100 Johor Bahru, Johor. Open from 8.30am to 4.30pm. Closed on Saturday and Sunday.

Tribute to Datuk Dr Badrul Hisham Kassim

 

When I read the news about the passing of Datuk Dr Badrul Hisham Kassim from a Facebook post by a mutual friend, Edey Suresh, with a photograph of them together, I was deeply saddened.

 

At my book launch event, December 2022;
Dr Badrul [First row, second from Left]

Without a moment’s hesitation, I reached Edey to ask him for more information. And learnt that Dr Badrul bravely battled on but he lost to that dreadful disease.

 

My deepest sympathies and condolences go out to the family of Dr Badrul. No words can comfort especially at the loss of one who was as special as Dr Badrul.

 

I echo the words of Edey who said that Dr Badrul was one who carried himself as thoughtful, kind and always approachable… he was one who chose to listen first.

 

I last met with Dr Badrul as the CEO of Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA) in December 2022 when he honoured me with his presence at the book launch of, My Johor Stories 3: Proudly Johor, Then and Now, the third and final instalment to complete the trilogy of My Johor Stories. The launch of this book was delayed due to the global pandemic.

 

Book Three of My Johor Stories,
delivered to IRDA in 2023

Soon after my third book was launched, IRDA ordered a stock of Book Three, continuing the friendship and support for My Johor Stories started by previous IRDA Chief Executive, Datuk Ismail Ibrahim, who specially ordered Book One (launched in 2017) and Book Two (launched in 2018) from MPH Publishing to present as IRDA corporate premium items.

 

Looking back, I first met with Dr Badrul in 2015 when he was then the Johor Tourism Director, on an introductory walkabout at the Johor Bahru heritage quarter, escorted by none other than our Johor cultural activist, Mr Tan Chai Puan.

 

While I was busy working on the first volume of My Johor Stories, Dr Badrul went on to become Yang Dipertua, Majlis Perbandaran Johor Bahru Tengah. We met again at several community events including one exciting event at Legoland Malaysia Resort in 2017.

 

Me [Right] chatting with Dr Badrul
at the Grants Programme event, Oct 2022

When the economy reopened after the global pandemic and lockdowns, people were still reluctant to gather. As such, the Downtown Johor Baru Grants Programme was initiated to bring life back into the city. In October 2022, this Grants Programme was launched with the grantees in a simple event.

 

My Johor Stories and I were among the grantees who met with Dr Badrul and it was my pleasure to share with him, the plans for a My Johor Stories Heritage Walk in Downtown Johor Bahru. These Heritage Walks, which kicked off in January 2023, gained much interest and participation continued regularly into 2024 and 2025.

 

It is my privilege to honour the memory of Datuk Dr Badrul Hisham Kassim with these precious recollections. Rest in Peace, Dr Badrul.

A taste of nostalgia at Sang Seafood

 

Reputed as home of the first Halal-certified Chilli Crab and the first Halal-certified Chinese Seafood Restaurant in Johor Bahru, Sang Seafood is a modern Chinese seafood restaurant opened at Damansara Aliff in Johor Bahru.

 

Seafood was the star of the menu at
Sang Seafood, that serves modern Chinese seafood

When I received the invitation to a food review at Sang Seafood, I was happy to accept as I was keen to find out if the food tastes as authentic as it sounds.

 

Many Muslim-friendly Chinese seafood restaurants opened in and around the city that welcomed a larger community to savour fresh seafood but over the years, many have also closed.

 

My family and I have always enjoyed good seafood, with each family member having their own favourite seafood dishes – the must-order items – each time we dined at seafood places. While my dad preferred the taste of Flower Crabs to Mud Crabs, I always picked the meatier mud crabs.

 

Facade of Sang Seafood restaurant
at Taman Damansara Aliff, Johor Bahru

I remember, it was always fun to pick from live fish swimming in the tanks, so there was always a whole fish, prawns, crabs, squid, varieties of shellfish and sometimes, even geoduck, to enjoy together.

 

So when the good people at Sang Seafood extended their invitation to me, they had no idea about what BIG shoes they have to fill, in order to meet my taste for good seafood.

 

They were in fact, rather confident of the taste of their signature Chilli Crab dish, because they also invited our Singaporean friend, Tony of Johor Kaki fame, to have a taste. So it was good to meet Tony again at Sang Seafood that afternoon.

 

Entrance to the restaurant

Even though the varied recipes for this seafood specialty created using meaty mud crabs, have its origins in many South East Asian countries, our neighbouring country had claimed Chilli Crabs as their dish.

 

Our review kicked off with the introduction of three recommended dishes dubbed the Sang Three Treasures, comprising signature Chilli Crab, deep-fried Seabass topped with signature Nyonya sauce, and Golden Nestum Prawn Clusters.

 

The fragrant signature Nyonya sauce on the crispy fish was so tempting that we could chew up all the crispy bits and leave next to nothing for the hungry cats!

 

For diners who may not enjoy the fragrance of aromatics and spices, there is a recommended alternative fish dish in a HongKong style Steamed Red Snapper.

 

Sang Seafood restaurant for
Halal Chilli Crabs

When I sank my teeth into the Prawn clusters coated in Nestum, a familiar multigrain cereal, it triggered off thoughts of a bygone era when oats-coated-prawns were first introduced and made popular.

 

Another popular prawn dish was Indonesian Style Prawn Clusters in Claypot. As we enjoyed the taste of the whole prawns swimming in the rich gravy, we soon learnt that they were called clusters because the prawns were served without shells.

 

When the platter of Crunchy Baby Squid coated with Honey Sauce and sesame seeds was served, the very sight of this dish evoked pangs of nostalgia. This was because this was an all-time favourite for both young and older members of my family.

 

The familiar taste of these baby squid brought back a flood of memories and when we talked about it, I pictured myself eating this same dish with my family in a Muslim-friendly Chinese restaurant at Danga Bay, a long, long time ago.

 

Deep-fried Seabass topped with signature
Nyonya sauce; Crunchy Baby Squid coated
with Honey and sesame seeds [Right]

This Chinese seafood restaurant in Danga Bay may have started with a rustic setup but it gradually transformed into one of our city’s better banquet restaurants. I am familiar with this restaurant as it was our regular go-to place for Chinese seafood.

 

In fact, my nephew’s wedding banquet was held at this restaurant as it was then the only Chinese banquet restaurant, outside of hotels, that could comfortably host 100 banquet tables in a single sitting.

 

And more than 10 years ago, the grand dinner celebration for our school’s 90^th anniversary was hosted in this same restaurant, also for its Muslim-friendly menu.

 

A Chilli Crab claw!

So it was a pleasant surprise to discover that the legacy of this restaurant continues to live on in Sang Seafood and the original recipes since its founding are still being served here along with new items in a refreshed setting of a modern Chinese seafood restaurant.

 

When the Chilli Crab dish was presented, Tony and I could not resist reaching out for a first taste of the gravy and was pleased that it tasted of that rich familiar flavour.

 

There were deep-fried mantou or buns, to dip into the delicious chilli gravy and steamed white rice to eat with the tasty dishes.

 

The restaurant provided gloves and shell-cracking tools for use but I declined the gloves as I preferred to hold the crab with my own bare hands for a better grip.

 

Black Pepper Crab!

Priced at only RM98 per crab and RM188 for two crabs that weighed approximately 500 grams each, it was good value for a leisurely, finger-licking crab dining experience.

 

In addition to their signature Chilli gravy, there was a choice of flavours for the meaty mud crabs that included Salted Egg, Creamy Butter and Black Pepper.

 

In the menu, we saw the highlight of a Chef’s Hat with a small label for Uniquely Sang next to the Black Pepper Crab and could not resist having a taste of this recommended flavour.

 

Fans of Black Pepper or a peppery taste will also enjoy the taste of a Milky Lala Soup with Ginger, that has a pleasant peppery zing.

 

Tok Mak's Bee Hoon Taucu was
also a hit among us

Another preparation for lala shellfish was their Kam Heong Style Wok-Fried Lala that tempted diners to drop all inhibitions and shamelessly lick up every bit of flavour from the empty shells.

 

While seafood was the star in their menu, we were delighted with the refreshing taste of a salad dish of Chilled Ice Plant that helped to clean our palates and made us ready for the next taste.

 

For diners who must have a bit of carb in their meal, there are choices of stir-fried rice and noodles to choose from.

 

We tried their stir-fried rice vermicelli dish, Tok Mak’s Bee Hoon Taucu, and all of us agreed that we liked to have a bit more of it but was already full from so much of good seafood.

 

A pair of Sang Seafood ceramic bowls

To end the meal sweetly, there were Chinese desserts like Chilled Lemongrass Jelly with Longan and Lai Chi Kang, as well as a range of cakes that included slices of Biscoff Cheesecake and Walnut Brownie.

 

In a current promotion, diners who spent over RM300 in a single receipt will receive a complimentary gift of a pair of Sang Seafood ceramic bowls, while receipts over RM500 each will receive a complimentary Sang Seafood tote bag.

 

Sang Seafood Halal Restaurant is located at No. 29 Jalan Aliff 6, Taman Damansara Aliff, 81200 Johor Bahru, Johor. Open daily from 11am to 11pm. Tel: +6019 7377556.

 

For dine-in, reservations are recommended. There are also delivery options by GrabFood and FoodPanda. For updates and exciting promotions, follow Sang Seafood official pages on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok@sang.seafood.my

Thanks for the gift of a comma

 

Readers of My Johor Stories are aware that I have been away from Johor as I have not been posting pieces on Johor for a while. Instead, I shared a series of stories in my Travelogue that took readers on a virtual trip with me in and around Sydney, Australia.

 

This time away to me, was the comma, a long-awaited pause in my sentence. A gift presented to me by my siblings, for me to have a change in my daily routine.

 

[The comma is a punctuation mark used to separate parts of a sentence to clarify meaning and adds a pause or ‘breathing space’ to make a complex sentence more readable.]

 

This time-out was a timely break from my regular routine of work and family commitments. Just time away to do something different. After all, I did have a very eventful 2025, and that January 2026 marked exactly 10 years since dad left us.

 

Time away has let me take stock of the past five years where I completed a total of six book projects, leading Heritage Walks, giving talks and promoting My Johor Stories in my pop-up book stores while juggling family and domestic responsibilities.

 

There were three books in the trilogy of My Johor Stories where the first book went to the Number One spot in the MPH Non-Fiction Bestsellers list in the first week of its launch and was counted among the Best of MPH at the end of 2017.

 

Following the success of My Johor Stories: True Tales, Real People, Rich Heritage, I worked on its sequel, My Johor Stories 2: Interesting Places and Inspirational People, published in 2018.

 

Then came the global pandemic which delayed the publication of the third and final instalment of My Johor Stories. With the support of MPH Publishing Kuala Lumpur, My Johor Stories 3: Proudly Johor, Then and Now, was finally published in 2022.

 

I am grateful for the support of hotels and resorts who bought My Johor Stories books and placed them in their better rooms, suites and villas for guests’ reading pleasure.

 

It was a wonderful way for guests to read about Johor and then go out to explore more of Johor. And it was through reading my book in a resort that started me on my next book project.

 

Soon as the borders were reopened and people were able to travel again after the pandemic, families took the opportunity to spend time at resorts in Johor’s beautiful Desaru Coast.

 

While relaxing in a resort in Desaru Coast, a member of the Tan family read My Johor Stories, and recognized names of people documented in my book. They were the same as what her father, a retired lawyer in Johor Bahru, wrote in his memoirs.

 

After his retirement, he moved to Singapore and was encouraged to write about his most memorable court cases. His daughter, who read my book then had the idea to document her father’s story along with his memoirs in a book as a tribute to him for the benefit of his family and grandchildren. And she reached out to me.

 

This, I was later told, was because his oncologist said that he did not have much time left. This info was the impetus which compelled me to work with the Tan family to write this tribute book without any delay.

 

I did not meet the members of the Tan family but only communicated by email and WhatsApp to exchange information, documents and photographs as we worked on this book project with a sense of urgency.

 

In addition to compiling, writing and proofreading, I also connected them with the printer to help with the printing of this book for private distribution within their family.

 

It was good to finally meet the Tan family members when they came to collect the books, as I already got to know them from their names and writing about this family.

 

We were sad that her father did not live to see the book titled, Tan Kiah Teck – A Kampung Boy’s Search for Truth and Justice. It meant a great deal to this family to have his words documented for future generations to hear his voice through this book.

 

In a Tan family gathering on Christmas eve 2023, this book was presented to family members and a copy was placed in the niche where his remains were interred.

 

Then in March 2024, I received a query about how to get a copy of a book that documented the life and ministry of Colleen Redit, a missionary in India whose ministry in Madras (now Chennai) India, started with rescuing women and children.

 

Over the years, the scope of her mission work expanded and I had the privilege to document her life story and work in a book, titled, Realising a Vision through Faith: The Autobiography of Colleen M. Redit, published in 2013. [This book was distributed among the churches and now available online through amazon.com]

 

As I was reminded about this – which was in fact, my very first book project – I decided to put into action, the plan to compile and document the story of our own assembly and its work in Johor Bahru, that was planted more than 50 years ago.

 

Cockatoos that come to rest on trees
close to the balcony at Concord, Sydney NSW

From reading through old record books in chronological order, I was able to get a sense of the work of the assembly since the early years and I took time to list out the names of the guest speakers, invited to share in the pulpit ministry.

 

Over the next few months, the manuscript was slowly stitched together, the cover design completed and the book given a title, Milestones on our Journey in Faith – Johor Bahru Gospel Chapel. By the end of June 2025, this book was ready for distribution among assembly members, both past and present.

 

Meanwhile back in 2024, there was talk about the Centennial Celebrations of our alma mater, the Johor Bahru Convent – the only Convent School in this city – planned for August 2025. Among the ideas proposed for the year-long celebration were a fund-raising dinner, a Convent Fun Run, Centenary Celebration T-shirts and the publication of a 100-Year Anniversary Souvenir Book.

 

Spotted My Johor Stories books in the book
case in Malcolm's house; Book One is missing
because it was a Bestseller and already sold-out!

I was invited to join online meetings with the Fund-Raising Committee to learn more about their proposed plans and ideas where all proceeds will be channeled to the school fund for building maintenance projects.

 

I saw the urgent need to work on this book project for the school, especially with the fund-raising activities in view and the desperately limited time ahead. And if this book should be ready for the Fun Run and dinner celebration in August, we had to start on the project like – yesterday!

 

Working with a small but dynamic Book Team, we met regularly online and through our discussions, agreed to keep production costs low and create a book that will celebrate the school’s work over the decades through the successes and achievement of the alumni.

 

On the way to Burwood, 
Sydney NSW

The Team worked in tandem to carry out various tasks and because this Souvenir Book will be sold to alumni and distributed widely, we also applied for the International Standard Book Number (ISBN) and got it approved for the book.

 

Keeping to strict deadlines and working closely with the printer, this Book Team managed to get the books ready for the Fun Run, held a week ahead of the dinner celebration at end August 2025.

 

The work was not over yet as the Team coordinated the sale and distribution of these Limited Edition books to alumni who preordered and required delivery by courier to destinations locally and abroad.

 

Dinner with Uncle, Auntie, Gillian,
Michael, Malcolm and Yeen at 
La Cocina Spanish Restaurant
Crows Nest, Sydney NSW

So here I am, having completed six book projects in the past five years. It was a great deal of work but it was worth the effort.

 

I am pleased with how these books have benefited others and even today, I am delighted to receive an email with a query, asking me where he can get My Johor Stories books! [From MPH bookstores nationwide or online from mphonline]

 

I was more than due for a pleasant change, a comma in my sentence, in a different place, with another arm of our widespread family located around the globe.

 

“Good to see you on this side of the world,” said Eva. “I hope you had a fabulous time,” she added. I replied, “Yes, I did, thank you.”

 

I did so with the help of cousin Malcolm, my very able tour guide, who gave me various experiences at different destinations in and around Sydney.

 

Gelato treat after dinner together;
Crows Nest, Sydney NSW

I was pleased to share my experiences documented in a Travelogue (for me to recall and reminisce!) and by reading it, I took my readers who included relatives and friends, on a virtual tour.

 

One of the comments I received from a school friend went like this: “Such interesting experiences, Peggy! Can I engage Malcolm and Auntie Polly to be my guides if ever I go down to Sydney?”

 

Another friend who visits Sydney regularly said: “It is good you can share all these experiences and places with me. There are still many places I have not been to in Australia.”

 

Yet another said: “Thanks for your stories filled with so much fun and excitement. Above all, precious time with your cousins, Auntie Polly and Uncle Steven… Am sure you will bring back with you, treasured and enriching memories!”

 

Dinner with Malcolm, Yeen and family
at Delhi Palace, Strathfield, Sydney NSW

Indeed! My stay happened to coincide with the Chinese New Year season so it was a different experience for me where family still gathered for feasting but with the (thankfully!) absence of “bombing” explosions from firecrackers and fireworks.

 

I am deeply grateful and blessed by the generous hospitality of my hosts, Malcolm and Yeen, who let me share their home and to Gillian and Michael for my glamping stay with them at Dee Why. Words alone cannot express how much I appreciate it.

 

In addition to Auntie Polly and Uncle Steven who shared with me exciting experiences in Dee Why and nearby Collaroy, I also had the pleasure to explore country towns with Alex and Dex, and had the company of Ben who escorted me around Cockatoo Island and in climbing The Rocks. Whew!

 

So Thank You all, for this precious gift of a comma, a breathing space, before I continue writing my sentence.

 

#MyJohorStoriesTravelogue

#MyJohorStoriesFebruary2026