TAIPING, Oct 1 — Kuala Sepetang, formerly known as Port Weld, may be familiar to those who know the history of Malaysia’s rail transportation for that was where the nation’s oldest railway station was located. For the current generation, the town, located about 16 kilometres from Taiping, Perak, is best known for its tasty mi udang or prawn noodles. However, many may not realise that Kuala Sepetang has another ‘feather in its cap’ — it is home to the country's oldest charcoal-making industry, established as far back as 1930.
Over the years, not much has changed in the area where the charcoal factories were and still are located — at the river estuary facing the Strait of Malacca. Currently, 120 factories are operating there, most of which are family-owned and run by the third generation. The whole area exudes a timeless, old-world charm, and is dotted with factories that look more like sheds, their weathered wooden walls blackened by the smoke billowing from the furnaces.
Lying beside these structures are piles of mangrove wood from which the charcoal is sourced. Legacy Chuah Kee Yong, 53, owner of one of the charcoal-making enterprises called My Charcoal Factory, is a third-generation member of the family that owns the business and he told Bernama he is determined to preserve the legacy and history of Kuala Sepetang’s charcoal industry and ensure it remains part of the nation’s heritage. Chuah, who previously held a senior position at an IT-related company,.