MUAR Collectorspace is an initiative by Collectors Market to breathe new life or rejuvenate old towns in Malaysia through art, heritage and different cultures such as pop culture.
The space is in Jalan Abdullah, in the centre of Muar. The town is also known as ‘Bandar Maharani Bandar Diraja’ after being declared the royal town of Johor in 2012.
The man behind the idea, Romaizie Mustapha, launched Muar Collectorspace after six years of dreaming about creating a space beyond the city limits of Kuala Lumpur. The space has been in operation since July last year.
Romaizie first searched for a location in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, but did not find a suitable building. He then turned his attention to his wife’s birthplace, Muar.
There, he came upon a unit in an old shop building that met all his criteria, and during the pandemic, he decided to start the process of securing the unit. Repair work began as soon as the Malaysian government allowed the construction industry to operate again.
According to Romaizie, “This structure is a two-storey shophouse built in 1940, approximately 83 years ago. Soon, it will be eligible to be registered in the list of Malaysian Heritage Buildings under the National Heritage Act, 2005.
"That factor alone is enough to motivate me to take over the management of this building and make it the base for Muar Collectorspace.”
Romaizie said that apart from being called ‘Bandar Maharani’, Muar is also known as the ‘Retirement Town’. This is because the majority of the population’s demographic is made up of Muar natives who came back to their hometown to retire.
The young people of Muar are more comfortable migrating to bigger cities Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru and even Singapore for better job options.
“Muar Collectorspace was developed with the idea of providing an interactive event space that can be used as a venue for young people and anyone to create, share ideas and skills, thus producing business and entrepreneurship opportunities.
"The first floor of this building houses a cafe. Visitors [can] enjoy specially brewed coffee from our local suppliers and delicious Johor cuisines like Mee Rebus, Laksa Johor and Beriani Johor.
"The relaxed setting also makes it a comfortable and safe place for get-togethers and meetings.
"The second floor is the main event space. So far, we have held acoustic performances and various sharing sessions, including talks from local artists and designers.
"I am very proud that the composer for the amazing movie, Imaginur, Fikri Fadzil or more commercially known as Bayang, was the first person to utilise the space at Muar Collectorspace and the event was well received.
"I am also planning to organise an art festival here in November,” he said.
Romaizie and his team have been persistent in ensuring Muar Collectorspace is proactive in helping young people. New skills training such as food and beverage preparation are popular, especially the coffee and latte art sessions and skateboarding classes for children.
Muar Collectorspace has also launched an initiative to build an archive with hundreds of locally published books. They have been collected as part of a free reading resource.
It also features vinyl records, cassettes, compact discs, and local music references as well as from the Southeast Asian region.
"I hope the existence of Muar Collectorspace proves that small towns are also able to contribute to the country’s socio-economic sector. At the same time, they can play a role in unearthing new talents in various fields, whether from the creative or business industry.
"Everything here is the result of my effort and my team’s hard work to realise the dream and help develop Muar. My hope is that the general public can stop by Muar Collectorspace whenever they find themselves in the south of the country," added Romaizie.
Follow Muar Collectorspace’s social media accounts @muarcollectorspace and @collectorsmarket.my. – The Vibes, March 28, 2023
