Who am I? About Me

Why People Call Me Captain Sim

Captain Sim Yong Wah A.M.N., a former airline pilot who logged thousands of hours above the clouds, turns his lens from sky to sea. His practice moves fluidly across aerial panoramas, terrestrial encounters, and the silent, blue lit theatres of underwater life, charting a continuum from jet stream weather systems to coral cathedrals and the pin sharp gaze of an eagle mid dive.

Pioneer of Malaysian Diving

  • In 1980, he became the first professionally qualified PADI Open Water SCUBA Instructor in Malaysia, certified under Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI).
  • He opened Malaysia’s first dive school and dive shop, Sea Divers, in Kuala Lumpur.
  • Two years later, he established his own business, Simsports, further developing the local dive scene.

Pioneer of Malaysian Diving

Discoverer of Sipadan as a Dive Destination

  • Capt. Sim was the first person to explore the underwater environment of Sipadan Island as a dive location.
  • He encouraged Ron Holland of Borneo Divers to begin dive trips there.
  • Ron later guided Jacques Cousteau to Sipadan, whose documentary helped popularize the island globally — but it was Capt. Sim who first recognized its diving potential.
     
    Today, Sipadan is widely regarded as one of the world’s top dive sites.

Discoverer of Sipadan as a Dive Destination

Aviation Career

  • In 1988, Capt. Sim made the difficult decision to leave the diving business to focus on his primary profession as an airline pilot with Malaysia Airlines.

Aviation Career

Author

  • In 1992, he published a coffee table book titled
    Malaysia’s Undersea Heritage, documenting diveable locations across both West and East Malaysia — a significant historical record of the country’s underwater world.

Author

Capt. Sim Yong Wah’s legacy lies in:

•Establishing professional dive training standards in Malaysia
•Introducing Sipadan to the diving world
•Documenting Malaysia’s marine heritage
 
He is widely regarded as one of the founding fathers of Malaysian recreational diving.

Captain Sim’s Oculus House

Captain Sim Yong Wah’s Oculus House is not just a residence — it is a design statement and a living ecosystem.

“Optimisation of the challenging site constraints yet successfully minimising site destruction while effectively integrating environmental parameters into the spaces. Skillful solution to a steep sloping site to take advantage of opportunities and integrate the spaces with nature.” – PAM Award 2023

Located in a forested setting in Malaysia, the house is architecturally conceived to integrate nature directly into daily living. The surrounding greenery is not treated as landscaping, but as part of the home’s spatial experience. The design received the Best Design Award from the Malaysian Institute of Architects (Pertubuhan Akitek Malaysia), recognizing its innovative relationship with environment and structure.

A defining feature of Oculus House is its productive landscape:
 
  • Vegetables and fruits grown within the property
  • Free-range chickens
  • A swim pond that also supports fish
  • Outdoor gathering spaces used for photography viewings and post-travel celebrations

It reflects Capt. Sim’s philosophy of self-sufficiency, sustainability, and appreciation for nature — similar in spirit to how he once explored untouched underwater worlds.

Gardening Activities

  • At Oculus House, gardening is both practical and experimental.
     
    Captain Sim grows:
  • Sugarcane, including silk sugarcane
  • Melons
  • Herbs such as basil
  • Ulam Raja (Cosmos caudatus)
  • A mature Kaffir lime (Citrus hystrix) tree
     
    The garden supports fresh cooking during gatherings with close friends — especially after travel photography trips. Produce harvested from the garden often becomes part of shared meals accompanied by good wine and storytelling.

Gardening Activities

Hydroponics System

  • Captain Sim also operates a hydroponic system, primarily for melon cultivation.
     
    The system allows:
  • Precise nutrient control
  • Efficient water usage
  • Cleaner fruit production
  • Year-round growing capability
     
    Given Malaysia’s tropical climate, hydroponics provides consistency and protection from soil-borne pests and excessive rainfall. The combination of traditional soil planting (sugarcane, herbs, citrus) and controlled hydroponic production reflects a thoughtful balance between nature and technology.

Hydroponics System

Philosophy Behind It All

  • Oculus House represents:
  • A continuation of exploration — now above water
  • Self-reliance and food sustainability
  • A lifestyle centered on nature, community, and design
 
Where Captain Sim once mapped underwater frontiers, he now cultivates a living landscape at home — blending architecture, agriculture, and hospitality into one coherent environment.
Philosophy Behind It All
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