Geographer Photographer

I went to the rice paddies of Malaysia, to symbolize the Datuk’s associations with creating prosperity. Nothing symbolizes health, wealth and prosperity to the Malaysians like a field of rice. Here the Malay Datuk holds a kris (the sacred knife) to protect…

A friend once told me that, when he was a little boy, his grandmother wouldn’t let him pee on the trees when he was out walking, “because the Datuk lives there”. Trees are very important to Datuk worship, giving shelter…

This Datuk resides near Bukit Jugra, on the west coast of Malaysia, at the mouth of the Langat River. The image of the hills behind him reflects the importance of that area to Malaysian history. The Jugra hill was a…

All along the coastlines of Malaysia, at the mouths of rivers, early immigrants arrived with hopes of making a living. They found landowners willing to rent them land, tin-mine tycoons who would give them jobs, and towns and cities in…

Datuks come from all walks of life. They are most often of Malay origin, but they can be Chinese, or Indian or Indigenous. They are most often men but sometimes women. Datuks have very individualized personalities. Many have warrior characteristics,…

No one really talks about the history of Datuk worship. So, what I am writing here reflects my musings on the historical geography of Malaysia and makes no claim to be “correct”. I’m taking some educated guesses. It is interesting…

This image is of the “Orang Bunian”, considered to be a Malay spirit of the forest with strong associations to place. “Lan” means blue and “Zhou” means Fairy and this deity is often depicted as a warrior with a blue…

Lion Dance trucks have long held a certain romance for me.  When I got to ride in the truck during the Nine Emperor Gods Festival in Penang, it was such a treat.  For years now I have been looking for…