Receiving drums which
collect tin ore
The rear chutes system where waste is discharged into pond
all the tin operational dredges at the time faced
the same fate and most were dismantled and sold
as scrap metal. This created an awareness among
heritage loving individuals who later launched the
“Save the Dredge” campaign. Their noble cause
gained attention and TT5, the last living proof
was saved when Malayan Mining Corporation
donated it to the Perak State Government for
restoration and preservation. Perak Menteri
Besar Incorporated or MB Inc. took over TT5 and
allocated approximately RM5 million to restore
and convert it into a fitting monument to mark the
prosperity the tin industry brought to Malaya and
its people in the 19 th and 20 th centuries.
Stepping onto the deck was like entering
inside a giant tool box filled with a variety of
gearwheel of differing types, scooping apparatus
and rope bundles. It’s fascinating that so much
of the original equipment such as pumps, diesel
generators, the electric switch board, the hoist
system and the heavy movers still remain mostly
intact. Despite being decades old, TT5 remains
relatively colourful with fading green, red, blue
and yellow colours. One can imagine the kind of
mining technology that was transferred to the
many workers who worked on the dredge and
the knowledge and skills they obtained. Not to
mention the high level of enthusiasm experienced
by workers in operating this magnificent giant
floating factory during the glorious tin industry
period.
Besides technology transfer, the nation
also enjoyed direct foreign investment when big
investors like London Tin Consolidated Ltd, Charter
Consolidated PLC and Foreign Trading Company
invested heavily in dredging. For example, in 1929,
105 tin dredges were fully running with each unit
costing about RM40 million. This significantly
brought up the total investment in dredging to
RM4.2 billion. By 1940, at the outbreak of WWII,
123 dredges were found in Malaya, scooping up
rich tin ore and continuously contributing to the
nation’s economic development.
Indeed, kapal korek is an engineering
marvel which left a legacy of successful mining
technology transfer and foreign direct investment
to the nation.
Replica of bag
which tin ore
is packed abd
delivered to
processing
plant
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