A room is not just a physical space, it is a projection of one’s personality and a material projection of one’s soul or essence. Knock on the door of Dr. Yeoh’s office, and you’ll be invited into a cultural museum the size of a compact room. 

As an urban anthropologist and an admitted compulsive collector, Dr. Yeoh’s room is filled with antiquities amassed from years of fieldwork and study trips throughout most of Southeast Asia. Since the very beginning of Monash University’s Sunway Campus, Dr. Yeoh has been here, occupying the same office space for 17 long years – he’s a Monash University fossil himself! 

As we stepped foot into his office, the very first item he showed us was… a wooden stick. According to Dr. Yeoh, it is a special stick that is used by some Orang Asli communities to ward off wild animals in the forests. Truth be told, we have no way of knowing the veracity of this information. Dr. Yeoh has mastered the art of ambiguity to the point that the boundary between truth and a big-fish story is sometimes very hard to discern. 

Suddenly, we were faced with an academic pop quiz as he pulled out his collection of “masks” (really, they’re just head-on-sticks) and asked us to guess the names of the prominent intellectual giants portrayed on the “masks”. We couldn’t guess a single one. Flabbergasted at our ignorance, Dr. Yeoh briefly introduced to us the key ideas of Michel Foucault and Sigmund Freud before moving on. 

As we journeyed through Dr. Yeoh’s mini cultural museum (his office), we received the backstories to some of the items on display. He explained that his vast collection of button badges has been accumulated since his undergraduate years. Each button badge serves as a reminder of every important historical event that has occurred in his life throughout the years. He also showed some of the thank-you cards/notes and gifts that he has received from past students. As he went over them, he recalled their names and their current occupations, showing just how much he keeps in touch with his former students.

Plastered throughout his room were group pictures of 11 extra-curricular study trips throughout Southeast Asia that he had organised between the years 2004 and 2016 before they became a credit-bearing unit. Then, we went over his “Freedom Wall”, a whiteboard that is filled with random words and phrases written by Dr. Yeoh and students who came for consultation. Some sounded academic and others just plain silly. Nothing is erased, and some of the oldest words go back to a decade! 

 For Dr. Yeoh, every item is a treasure of sorts. From museum-type artefacts to small handwritten notes by students, Dr. Yeoh has never thrown out any of his collections. In his own words, he is like a magpie. A collector of things. Whether dull or shiny, it is the unique story behind each item that gives them meaning, thus making them priceless and incomparable. 

Dr. Yeoh is quite literally the epitome of a cool Malaysian uncle. He may jest and poke fun at you, but it’s undeniable that he deeply loves every student and is committed to their learning and growth. Unfortunately, Dr. Yeoh is planning to retire in the next two years. To all students, knock on Dr. Yeoh’s office if you ever feel bored! You’ll find yourself visiting a cultural museum filled with Dr. Yeoh’s personal experiences and all the wisdom he has accumulated over the years as an urban anthropologist. And I promise you, you’ll come out of his office with new knowledge and a greater appreciation of the things around you.

Full 4-part interview video available here: 

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Do you know any other cool office rooms? Or an intriguing story about an unexpected connection? Or perhaps a memorable experience you’re eager to share with the world? Don’t keep it to yourself! Share it with MONGA via Instagram @musamonga! Your story matters to us, and we can’t wait to hear from you!

Featuring: Dr Yeoh Seng Guan;

Coordinated & interviewed by: Kaira

Written by: Jason Nataniel

Photos by: Mona