RETURNING TO FAMILIAR ROOTS

Professional photographer, Chen Kim Mun found a sense of joy and purpose in returning to his horticultural heritage by founding SAYO Cameron Highlands - a little farm that specialises in scrumptious Japanese cherry tomatoes and other gourmet greens

- ALISON LOH

IF YOU’VE BEEN INVOLVED in editorial or fashion photoshoots, you will likely be familiar with the name Chen Kim Mun, or at least his photography studio known as Hopscotch Photography. With 23 years of being in this metropolitan field, one would assume that this successful, stylish hunk feels contented. That is until the pandemic hit. Chen’s ever-blossoming career in photography soon became stagnant. It was during this period that he founded SAYO Cameron Highlands, a startup that supplies sweet Japanese cherry tomatoes.

Born and raised in the lush mountains of Cameron Highlands in Pahang, Chen grew up surrounded by farms and plantations. He then moved to the capital city in his early 20s to pursue his studies in One Academy – eventually settling for a career in editorial and fashion photography.

So when the pandemic put his beloved career on pause, the photographer began reflecting on his younger days in the chilly hills with his family, who were growers. He was never one to fancy the farming life and his hometown’s slow-paced culture. He even views the municipality to be overcrowded with tourists and developments. But as he grew older and wiser, Chen became more empathetic and gradually changed his perspective towards the slow and peaceful life.

The idea for SAYO didn’t spark overnight. Instead, it was a result of a casual conversation that he had with a friend of his during the pandemic. That friend would share the one type of tomato that she enjoyed consuming the most, which was none other than the Japanese cherry tomato.