It's quite common to see people collecting shells on the beach, but 74-year old Tengku Mohamad Ali Mansor is a little different... he collects glass bottles instead.

In fact, in his quest to rid the beaches in the East Coast of rubbish, he has collected more than 9,000 bottles since he started the hobby in 2005.

He's since started a museum of sorts in Penarik, Terengganu, to the amusement of his family members.

Several news sites shared the story of the man, affectionately known as Pok Ku, quoting AFP.

It all started because of some mischievous kids

Pok Ku's hobby of collecting bottles started when he saw a group of children blowing up glass bottles for the fun of it.

He stopped and told them off for endangering others as the glass shards left on the beaches could hurt others.

He offered the children 10 cents for every bottle the bring him, which eventually led to the collection of his first 500 bottles.


In an interview with Nusa Culture last year, Pok Ku enthusiastically spoke about his collection of bottles that came in all shapes and sizes.

He explained that he even tries to identify where the bottles are from.

"The bottles came from all over the world. They came from Argentina. They came from Mexico," he told Nusa.

Pok Ku seemed to be especially excited about a bottle with a message in Korean that he found. He shared the story with both AFP and Nusa, saying that he had to get someone to translate the content for him.


"Whoever finds this bottle, please pray that I will get the blessings of my family to marry the girl I love," the message is said to read.

Pok Ku, being a religious man, fulfilled the wish of the person who wrote the note with a gift of prayer.

Artwork using the bottles

Besides collecting bottles that are in good condition, Pok Ku also uses glass shards that he finds to make new ones.

It's amazing how he manages to add shards of glass and porcelain to an ordinary looking bottle to change it into something much more beautiful.

During the Movement Control Order (MCO), he continued to indulge in the creative part of his hobby, wishing Malaysians to stay strong during the difficult times.



Cool, isn't it?

If you pass by Kuala Terengganu, you might want to drop by Rumah Botol Ayahku for a visit.