BUSKERS are often regarded as mood lifters because they bring a totally different vibe and their presence can never go unnoticed in public places.
For tourist guide Tony Cheong, busking and singing were never his forte but when the going got tough, the 56-year-old Penangite decided to put aside his stage fright and became a street performer, entertaining passers-by with his God-given talent.
Best known as Tony Maido on social media and among his fans, the Japanese-speaking tourist guide said his passion for busking and singing had started during his secondary school days.
“I was a Scout member during my days at Heng Ee High School, and back then, I used to actively play various kinds of musical instruments.
“As a full-time tourist guide, I lost my major source of income after the travel restrictions were imposed in March last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. But I refused to give up.
“I busked and sang even before the movement control order (MCO) was in place last year.
“Due to the various stages of MCO that we had had to go through, there were times I had to refrain myself from performing in order to abide by the SOPs. Now, I am busking more regularly.
“It gives me so much happiness to entertain people through my singing ability,” Cheong told Buletin Mutiara during a brief interview session at 1st Avenue Mall in George Town today.
Cheong sings in English, Cantonese, Malay, Mandarin, Hokkien and Japanese, and has a repertoire over 400 songs (lyrics) in the booklet he uses during his busking time.
He completed his tourism and hotel management studies in Japan before heading back to Malaysia in 1990 to pursue a tourism-related course for a year.
In 1991, he officially joined a Japanese travel agency based in Kuala Lumpur. Cheong now has over 30 years of working experience in this industry.
To those interested to see Cheong perform, you may visit 1st Avenue Mall (1pm to 3pm) and Queensbay Mall (6pm to 9pm) during the weekdays, and Sunway Carnival Mall in Seberang Jaya during the weekends.
When asked about his future plans, he said for now the focus is just to sustain his family’s livelihood, and if opportunity permits, he wishes to continue working for the Japanese travel agency he previously worked for.
Story by Kevin Vimal
Pix by Darwina Mohd Daud