Seletar photographer releases stunning photo book

Whether it’s a portrait of a wearied Seletar fisherman, children catching crab, or a landscape of sprawling sea dotted with ‘sampans’, Jefree Salim had captured it.

Jefree Salim, or Jeff as he is fondly known, is a self-taught photographer and a fisherman from the Orang Seletar village of Kampung Sungai Temon, Johor Bahru. 

For Jeff, photography is very much intertwined with growing up surrounded by his community along the Johor straits.

The community’s affection for the sea and the mangrove forest, and the effect of development on his village very much shaped Jeff’s foray into photography.

“I love taking photos of my community, their lifestyle and livelihood, to tell their story of how things have changed,” said Jeff.

Capturing the images of Orang Seletar

Jeff’s ability to capture the different shades of his indigenous community is often understated.

Most of Jeff’s photos depict the life of the Seletar community. 

He beautifully captures the suffering they endure in the sea amid encroaching development.

Jeff employs candid photography techniques when dealing with his subjects. He captures every emotion and action without creating a posed appearance.

According to Jeff, most of the time, he waits for the right moment before triggering the shutter.

“There were instances that I have to wait the whole night for one good photo,” said Jeff.

Favourite subject

Every photographer has their favourite subject, and so does Jeff. 

Jeff’s favourite subject is Makcik Tina. She is a seventy-year-old Seletar woman who lived in Kampung Bakar Batu. 

According to Jeff, he once accidentally met Makcik Tina with her husband Manja, rowing their boat along the Johor Straits. 

He managed to snap a few photos, and one of them became his favourite, which he still talks about today.

“It is almost dusk, and Makcik Tina with her husband Manja are rowing the boat after a long day in the sea with their grandchild. It’s an amazing scene depicting our community’s life,” said Jeff.

Late last year, Makcik Tina passed away, he added.

“Makcik Tina has always been my favourite subject. She has an interesting face, as though it tells a thousand stories without a single word,” said Jeff.

There are a few photos of Makcik Tina included in this book. One of Jeff’s favourites is the photo of her weaving in the boat. 

Photo books and upcoming exhibitions

In 2019, Jeff released a photo book at the Gerimis exhibition during the George Town Festival.

The Gerimis exhibition featured the works of indigenous photographers and artists in Malaysia.

Before that, Jeff exhibited his photos in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh and Penang.

However, the Covid-19 pandemic had halted all his exhibition plan for the past two years.

“I will be exhibiting some new collections soon, and I hope this photo book will create more awareness for my work,” said Jeff.

Jeff’s current photobook features selected photographs from over the past years, a brief history of the sea people and his family genealogy, and a look into the lives of the Orang Seletar through his lens.

The book can be pre-ordered via this link Gerimis.