Tan Guan Poh
He grew up in a rubber estate where his father worked. It was there that he developed a love for creating toys using whatever materials he could find, condensed milk boxes as car cabins, round tree trunks as tires, and for smaller vehicles, matchboxes, cigarette boxes, and soda pop crowns.
After completing his Senior Cambridge Examination, he began his career in manufacturing. His longest experience was as a Process Engineer in a consumer electronics manufacturing company, where he learned about the workings of electronic circuits and their components. This knowledge became an added advantage for him when repairing electronic toys.
His grandchildren often brought their broken toys to him for repair, and seeing the joy in their eyes when they received their fixed toys inspired him to extend his service to the wider community. He later came across RePlay Toy Hub at Da Men Mall and volunteered to repair toys there, as the hub received many donated toys from the community to be given to underprivileged groups such as residents of PPR flats, orphanages, children’s homes, and Orang Asli communities.
It was at RePlay that the owner, Datin Wong, bestowed upon him the title “Toy Doctor.” After the closure of RePlay Toy Hub, he was recommended to EPIC at The PARC, which had initiated the Repair, Reuse, Recycle, and Zero Waste Program. Since then, many members of the community — including mothers, fathers, children, and even the elderly — around the Subang area have brought their toys to him for repair. Some elderly individuals brought their cherished toys, filled with nostalgia and sentimental value, reminiscent of their past days.
Just as a medical doctor saves lives, he believes that as a Toy Doctor, he saves the “lives” of toys from being thrown into landfills, contributing instead to a better environment for the nation.
As a senior himself, he has benefited in many ways from this work. He enjoys discovering toys he has never seen before. With the increasing use of mobile phones and USB chargers, he has also developed a method to bypass the need for batteries by connecting 5-volt USB wires directly to the positive and negative terminals of toys. This innovation allows for longer playtime, especially for stationary toys such as educational, sound, and musical ones. He considers this one of his most treasured achievements after repairing countless toys as the Toy Doctor.
Making an impact, to me, means that by repairing toys, I am giving their owners, young and old alike, the hope and joy of reconnecting with their favorite memories. I believe this can uplift their emotional well-being.
It also creates an impact on me personally, as I continue to learn and gain knowledge through this work. Even at my age, this ongoing learning keeps my mind active and helps prevent the onset of dementia and other emotional challenges often faced by older individuals.