Zaharuddin, a treasure hunter from Natuna Islands, stands near a collection of intact and broken ceramic pieces that he has found on his digs around the Natuna Islands. (JP/Matheos Viktor Messakh)

At his home in Natuna Islands, Zaharuddin has collected as many as 600 items of treasure, mostly oriental ceramic pieces.

It all began in October 1985, when Zaharuddin, who was then starting his first year of junior high school, came across some antique ceramics on his walk home from school.

"I remember, it was a Friday afternoon in November and I was about to take a dip on my way back home," Zaharuddin told The Jakarta Post of his walk along the cliff tops that fateful day.

Zaharuddin said he took the antiques home and many people came to look at them.

A local rich man bought one of his first collection pieces -- a 14-inch-diameter green plate with a goldfish motives -- for Rp 4 million.

"I was so happy at that time ... Rp 4 million in 1985 was a lot of money and I could buy many things with it, including funding my own education," said Zaharuddin, adding his family was so poor at the time, he did not even own a pair of shoes.

From that moment on, Zaharuddin became a treasure collector and searched the jungles and shores of the islands to find hidden treasures.

Natuna Islands, located in the Malaka Strait, is a must-see destination when visiting the Riau Islands province -- not only for its breathtaking natural beauty, but for its hidden treasures.

Many Natuna Islands residents -- the majority of whom are fishermen -- can earn a living as treasure collectors, especially during the monsoon from October to January.

As Zaharuddin's collection increased, he became known to several collectors from Batam, Tanjung Pinang, Pontianak and even Malaysia and Singapore.

Admitting he was no expert when it came to the antiques and their value, Zaharuddin armed himself with catalogs from foreign buyers who came to the islands so he could learn more about the treasures in his collection.

A particularly valuable find in his collection is a set of "anti-poison" soup plates, which are thought to date back to the Ming dynasty.

"We have proven their virtue by filling them with tuba (derris elliptica used as fish poison) and putting live fish in them, but the fish didn't die," Zaharuddin said.

He added he could sometimes feel the magic aura of the uncovered treasures.

"But, I'm not worried because I believe I'm not harming them but preserving them."

Zaharuddin continued collecting and selling treasures until he found the skeleton of an 18-meter sea mammal near Subi Island in 2004, which he sold to a Singaporean collector for Rp 500 million.

"No body knows for sure what it is, but the locals call it a gajah laut (sea elephant). I asked the regency government to buy the skeleton for only Rp 60 million but they refused," said the former teacher who quit his job as a civil servant in 2006.

With the money he earned, Zaharuddin purchased a home where he now stores his collected items in three rooms.

In November 2007, he found the skeleton of another sea mammal along the Buton coast. This one was 12 meters long, and it is now stored at the rear of his home in Natuna.

Zaharuddin has divided his collection into several categories, including various Chinese dynasties; the Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch and Japanese colonial eras; Malay kingdoms; and the Malaysian confrontation era.

His museum was officially opened by Natuna Regent Daeng Rusnadi on July 23, 2008, which happened to also be Zaharuddin's birthday.

"To be honest, I have been selling treasures for a long time, but I won't do it again. I realize that I was helped by these treasures when I was in need .. know I've decided to preserve them.

"I'm sure there is still a lot of treasure out there in these islands. I think we could develop a kind of historical or cultural tourism," he said.

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