SINGAPORE \u2013 Gifts, cake and celebrity guests made for a 100th birthday to remember for Mr Ang Kum Siong, known to many as the \u201cBatik Uncle\u201d of Holland Road Shopping Centre.\u00a0 <\/p>\n
Mr Ang is the founder of Wellie Batik, which has provided tailored batik pieces to a discerning clientele since 1978. <\/p>\n
He has operated out of the third-floor of the strata mall next to Holland Village MRT station all this time, though occupying different units over the years. <\/p>\n
Though Mr Ang\u2019s 100th birthday party was due to begin only at 3.30pm on Dec 13, the immediate vicinity around Wellie Batik was already buzzing with a festive atmosphere when The Straits Times stopped by nearly an hour earlier.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And the celebrations continued even past 5.30pm, with the 100-year-old batik tailor \u2013 who is still working \u2013 greeting a seemingly endless stream of well-wishers on his special day. <\/p>\n
Mrs Mary Tan, the wife of former president Tony Tan Keng Yam, was one of many visitors who popped in and out for a quick photograph with Mr Ang.<\/p>\n
Other special visitors included Health Minister Ong Ye Kung, who had reportedly stopped by earlier in the afternoon for a quick chat with Mr Ang.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have been fortunate to count Mr Ong as a customer, along with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Minister for Law Edwin Tong,\u201d Mr Ang\u2019s youngest son Eric told ST.<\/p>\n Mr Ang Kum Siong with family members, including his son Eric (in green shirt) and daughter Pauline (in light blue, standing), at Wellie Batik on Dec 13. <\/p>\n ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n The younger Mr Ang, who is 55, and one of nine children, has taken over the main operations and management of Wellie Batik.<\/p>\n \u201cMy dad\u2019s purpose in life right now is to be able to come to the shop every day to make something for customers and to meet people,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n In his heyday, the elder Mr Ang was able to sew up to 20 pieces of clothing in a single day. But now, given his advanced age, he mainly focuses on sewing tote bags. He still uses the same Singer sewing machine that he bought second-hand for $20 in 1978.<\/p>\n<\/picture><\/div>