HIS passion for collecting Lego sets since 2013 has inspired Wong Wing Yew to design his own Lego structures, featuring famous landmarks in Penang and portraits of well-known sports figures in Malaysia.
Balancing his career as a mechanical engineer at a multinational company in Bayan Lepas, Wong manages to dedicate about an hour each day to his passion.
Despite his hectic schedule, Wong, originally from Kuala Lumpur, emphasises the importance of time management in pursuing his hobby.
In a recent interview with Buletin Mutiara, Wong expressed gratitude for the support of his wife and five-year-old son, who have been his pillars since he began collecting Lego sets.
“I am blessed that my wife supports my hobby, even though she also takes care of our son.
“She can be quite creative and often contributes ideas to my Lego creations.
“She offers her input, and I strive to incorporate her suggestions into my work. It is not an easy task, as I often face obstacles when designing Lego structures. When these challenges arise, I seek my wife’s assistance, and she provides ‘clues’ to help me create better designs,” Wong shared.
Accompanied by his son during the interview, Wong, 39, expressed hope that his son would follow in his footsteps.
“He is still learning, but I am confident he will pick up my skills one day,” Wong said, adding that his son shares his interest.
Wong discussed the challenges he faced while completing a Lego replica of Penang’s famous Kek Lok Si Temple in 2017.
“I had to visit the temple to observe its architectural features and colours. It was a tedious process to combine and design the structure,” he explained.
For the Penang Ferry Lego set, a symbol unique to Penang, Wong used about 1,500 Lego pieces and took a month to complete.
“I ordered materials from abroad and spent thousands on the costs,” he added.
Looking ahead, Wong plans to design Lego versions of trishaws and old shophouses. Besides structures, Wong has also created portraits of former badminton player Datuk Lee Chong Wei, Hong Kong singer Jacky Cheung, and actress Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh.
“It was very fulfilling to present the Lego set featuring Chong Wei to him in person,” Wong said.
Wong stressed that Lego creation is a form of artistic expression and hoped his work would attract more people to join the Lego community in the future.
For more details, visit Wing Yew Creation on his Facebook page.
Story by Edmund Lee
Pix by Siew Chia En