A 60-Year-Old Uncle In Johor Built This Playground Using RM6,000 Of His Own Money
The rides are all made from recycled materials.
By Alyssa J. Oon — 27 Feb 2019, 01:41 PM
A 60-year-old uncle in Johor has brightened up his little neighbourhood by single-handedly building a colourful children's playground
The handyman, Tan Ching Swee, built the park on a piece of idle land that was previously used as the neighbourhood's dumping ground.
Tan said the idea to build the park came to him over 10 years ago, after he noticed the children in his neighbourhood did not have a proper place to play.
So he got to work and cleared out the rubbish himself at the 0.2-hectare land.
Known as "DIY Playground", it has over a dozen rides that are recycled and repaired from discarded items
"I forked out about RM6,000 of my own money to repair all of these discarded items over the years," said Tan, according to The Straits Times.
Some of the rides that can be found there include the usuals, such as slides, swings, and a see-saw...
... But visitors can also find a flying fox and bumper cars at the park!
There's also a small stage and covered area for community activities.
"Safety is my priority and I usually check all the rides daily to ensure that the kids do not get hurt," he added, according to The Straits Times.
The little park has slowly grown popular over the years, that some of its visitors have come all the way from Singapore and Hong Kong
"I am happy when this place is packed, especially during school holidays, where more than 100 kids would be playing and having fun," Tan shared.
Uncle Tan added that in the evenings, the local residents and retirees will spend time at the park, just sitting and talking.
DIY Playground is located on Jalan Syed Abdullah in Batu Pahat, Johor
When you do visit, don't forget to drop off a small donation to help upkeep the park.
You can also grab a quick bite at Uncle Tan's stall, which he runs with his wife, that sells Thai food such as barbecued meat, noodles, rice, and tom yam.