Wah, Sungai Lembing has it's own museum.
Okay, here's what the marbled signboard says -Sungai Lembing was once the richest tin mining town in Pahang Darul Makmur. This was because the area was the second richest tin deposit in the world after Bolivia. Sungai Lembing's mining shafts and subterranean tunnels, which reached a depth of between 45 to 50 meters were said to be the deepest in the Southeast Asian Region. The history of modern Pahang which began with the British colonization, is inexorable linked to the development of Sungai Lembing. The British began exploring the area in earnest in February 1888 when the then Sultan of Pahang, Almarhum Sultan Ahmad Muazzam Shah I agreed to a proposal by a London-based mining concern to set-up a the Pahang Corporation Limited to commercially mine tin in Sungai Lembing. The Company was given a 100-year concession in an area 2,500 acres (1,000 hectares) wide for a norminal sum of one cent per annum.
Sungai Lembing was also the first town in the then Malay States to be placed under the purview a British mining company, the Pahang Corporation Limited. In 1915, the mining concession was taken over by the Pahang Consolidated Company Limited. PCCL, which in 1984 was changed to the Pahang Investment Public Limited Company, PIPLC.
In its 100 years of mining, the Sungai Lembing mines produced approximately million tonnes of ore that was able to produce 150,000 metric tonnes of pure tin valued at $2 billion. The mining activity contributed significantly to the local inhabitants and the economy of the state.
The entrance to the museum. Minch and Rach were asking for the entrance fees. We went in for free but when I checked online, it cost RM1 per person.Directions - From Sg Lembing town, just go straight and you will see this museum which is on the left.
Minch running towards the building. She was trying to avoid the sun.
This building was once the residence of a British official. Probably he was the one overseeing the tin mine.
Some of the old pictures. The group pic at the bottom consists of the Senior Staff and their wives taken on July 1941.
Some of the old office equipments displayed in this museum.
Mining tools and equipments.
Mining method.
A model of the tin mine. I love this moel. Such detailed work shown here. The photos did not turn out well because of the reflection on the glass.
An old fashion switch, a liquor container used by the Chinese miners, bags of.. ore I think, and transporting ore from one place to another.
Look an antique car. Minch claimed it was hers, but apologized because the car had to be sent for service and therefore we couldn't take it around for a spin.We took about an hour in this museum before heading to our next destination which was the crystal house. It was closed for that day, but we stumbled upon a suspension bridge which led to another quaint village. (Refer the previous post for more details).
3 comments:
Hi I used to live in this museum. My dad was General Manager at the mine in the 1970's. I hope to visit in the not too distant future.
I play in this house too and lived up the road , our dads worked together , lovely time we had there growing up , so sad to see what has happen to the rest of the town
Hi, my father, Dr James Millar, was the company doctor in Sungei Lembing in about 1953. We lived in a bungalow next to the hospital and on top of a hill. I was about 7 years old at the time and my sister about 5 years old. We used to visit the European club every day and spent many hours in the club swimming pool. I greatly enjoyed my time in Malaya and would love to hear from anyone who lived in SL or Kuantan at that time. Any pictures would also be great. John
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