Survivors of the TIN
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
www.ipohecho.com.my FREE COPY IPOH echoechoYour Community Newspaper ISSUE 84 October 16-31, 2009 PP 14252/10/2010(025567) NEWS LET US STAY HOME GOPENG WHITE ‘THE NATION’S Students beg WATER RAFTING MOST ENVIRONMENT government to allow FRIENDLY CITY’ completion of – A VISION FOR IPOH studies in Malaysia 4 8 11 hat does one Malaysia Wmean to me? ith so much being W bandied about 1Ma- laysia, Ipoh Echo took to the SURVIVORS streets and asked people of different ethnicity and dif- ferent ages what 1Malaysia meant to them. Last issue OF THE TIN ERA featured comments from those born after Merdeka. In this issue we feature comments from those born before Merdeka. ndependence means Ia lot to people of my generation. I have gone through thick and thin and had experienced coloni- sation firsthand. First the British, then the Japanese and finally the Communist terrorists. When the coun- try gained its independ- ence there was much jubi- Meng Seng Engineering then and now lation. Although life was hard initially, efforts by a people-friendly govern- How some foundries are faring 20 years after the collapse ment ensures prosperity of the tin industry continued on page 2 continued on page 7 2 IPOH ECHO OCTOBER 16-31 2009 Your Community Newspaper Reinventing and Moving Up the Value Chain – Keys to Survival he tin mining industry 1980. When the tin indus- challenging jobs at any innovated, automated and Tthat started in the late try collapsed, its owner time. grew along with the new 19th century had brought Liew Chee Ming looked Yoon Steel is currently customers and to greater prosperity not just to the to the palm oil mills for expanding and upgrading heights. miners that operated the business and took on what- its facilities in anticipation As one 3rd generation mines but also to the sup- ever orders it was handed. of their next upturn. “This interviewee stated, “We porting service industries. Through innovation and downturn isn’t going to just reinvented ourselves These would include the sheer grit the company is last forever. Besides pric- and moved up the value foundry and engineering now a Turnkey Contractor es are depressed so it is a chain. If we sat still we’d establishments, which in manufacturing palm oil good time to expand”, said be dead by now”. So the turn was supported by the mills throughout the pe- Choy. tin may be gone but the hardware and spare-parts ninsula and east Malaysia. For these companies, support and servicing busi- shops. A common trait of unlike so many others that nesses have moved on to At the turn of the 19th these companies is all of folded up with the tin in- greater heights. Testimony century, mining for tin was them plough back their dustry, they capitalized on to the tenacity and creativ- a labour intensive affair profits to upgrade their what they knew best. They ity of the Perakean people. and it became a problem equipments and improve sought new markets that for the miners when there their facilities to enable utilised similar technology, was a labour shortage. them to take on new and JAMES GOUGH With the onset of the gravel pump the Kinta Valley saw TAMAN PENGKALAN TIARA LAKE PARK an increasing use of west- ern technology. A mine which used a gravel pump, a monitor and a hydraulic he Tiara Lake Park before the collapse of the cast steel due to its dura- in Taman Pengkalan elevator was classified as tin industry. Most were T a hydraulic mine as a large bility. According to Choy Tiara is the first in Ipoh located along Lahat Road Toong Seng , GM for Yoon built to incorporate new water supply was required up till Lahat and Pusing for its operation. Steel the company then themes of safety and secu- village. was the only local compa- rity. The gravel pump The majority of these would ‘suck up’ gravel in ny that provided this serv- According to Total foundries offered the basic ice to the dredges. Before Investment (TI) Homes which tin would be mixed foundry services of pro- with sand, mud and water them the Multi National managing director, Tan ducing metal castings and Chan Choon Yen won the lucky draw grand prize of a and transported to pal- companies of Bradken and Fun Kwai, 49, the Tiara making parts using ferrous fully automatic Toshiba washing machine at the Tiara ongs where the heavier tin United Engineers were the Lake Park road planning is or non ferrous alloys. The Lake Park “Get to Know Your Neighbour” event. Chan’s would be segregated from only two that provided cast unlike any other in Ipoh. common alloy processed brother received the prize from TI homes chairman, other light minerals which steel products. “The large area al- then was cast iron. Also realising its over lowed us to design and Chong Heng Kiong (right) on his behalf. are then swept away with Indeed, back then dependence on the tin in- build the village with The developers con- the tailings. when one drove along to help safeguard the resi- dustry it initiated to diver- novel ideas such as the sider these measures to pro- The gravel pump in- Lahat Road to Menglembu dential area. Selected me- sify its products to cater ‘S’ curve”, said Tan at the tect the residents’ homes as troduced in 1906 had 449 one would see rows of dium range terrace houses to the quarry industry in opening of the show vil- part of their corporate so- in operation in 1925. By workshops on both sides of as well as all the semi- the early 80s. The vision lage in Pengkalan. cial responsibility. 1963, 87% of the Chinese the road. That sight gradu- detached houses will also took off especially with the “The roads are built The 261 acre plot is tin output came from grav- ally faded away when the be equipped with security government’s goal of com- around curves to slow designed to emphasize demand for tin declined alarm systems. pleting the North-South down speeding vehicles the greenery and peace of in the mid 80s. The work- “Security is an impor- Highway. In the early 90s without the use of too nature. There is a 79-acre shops have gradually been tant factor in today’s world, an initiative to market its many road bumps”. lake built in the heart of the interspersed by furniture where crime is fast rising. products overseas has paid “We have even in- urban village that height- showrooms and even nasi We included this service off handsomely and the cluded a bicycle and mo- ens the ambience. kandar outlets. to promote the safety of company currently exports torcycle lane on the roads Of the 230 units com- One foundry that is the area and eventually we 85% of its production an- around the housing area”, pleted in phase one, only still in operation till today hope that the residents will nually. he said. 30 units are left. is Chun Kung Engineering form their own commit- Meng Seng Engineer- For the first year, TI tee to maintain it”, said TI (CK), its premises still lo- ing (MSHK and MSBB) Homes will provide secu- Homes executive director ISTA KYRA cated along Lahat Road. It started their foundry in rity guards without a fee began its operation manu- John Chong. SHARMUGAM facturing gravel pumps and water pumps for the WHAT’S Mr Choy Toong Seng. tin mining industry. Its HAPPENING GM of Yoon Steel Managing Director Lam el pump mines. Kar Weng is the third gen- SUNWAY The final western in- eration that is still manag- COLLEGE IPOH novation introduced to ing the business. Seeing BEACH PARTY the tin industry then was that it was over dependent (Halal Event) the bucket dredge or tin on the tin industry “we be- dredge. The first tin dredge gan designing pumps for Theme: Hawaiian Rave, was started by Malayan Tin palm oil mills way back 23rd Oct 2009, 6.30 p.m. Dredging (MTD) at Batu in the 70s”. Today its core to 11 p.m. at: Lost World Gajah in 1913. By 1952 business is manufacturing there were 39 dredges, industrial pumps and has of Tambun. Organised all operating in the Kinta 200 models of different by SCREAM – Student Valley. types in production. Council Representatives Another foundry that As with all mining ac- of Sunway College Ipoh. tivities there was a lot of has evolved to greater wear and tear on the min- heights is Yoon Steel. The Tickets: Public – RM50 ing equipment. Hence the company was founded in Sunway students – equipment required regu- 1937 by Loke Chee Pun RM25. Highlights: Belly and moved to its current lar maintenance. Gravel dance performance, ex- pumps needed to be re- site at Kuala Kangsar Road placed regularly and this in 1964. Its Executive citing games, BBQ din- gave rise to the foundry Director is Jimmy Loke ner, free dip at the hot and engineering industry Yoon Chee also a third springs, music and danc- in the Kinta Valley. generation foundry owner. According to A glaring difference ing. Add-on: Free salsa FOMFEIA (the Federation with Yoon Steel is it has lessons. Attire: Beach or of Malaysian Foundry always broken away from swim wear, casual and the norm. When it moved & Engineering Industry fun. Association) Secretary to its current premises it Lai Weng Keong, there began servicing the tin Contact: Emily Soon was an estimated 100-200 dredge community. The – 016-5969300 or Ivan foundries and engineering wear parts used on dredges Goh – 012-5168835.