Kelantan Match Factory supervisor Mahmod Mohd Nor, 85, with a box of 'Cap Lada' matches that have been produced at the factory in Sungai Keladi here for the past 89 years.- Photo: Bernama
KOTA BARU: For the past 89 years, the "Cap Lada" (Chilli Brand) Kelantan Match Factory in Sungai Keladi here has never stopped production to meet the demand for matches from its loyal fans.
Factory supervisor Mahmod Mohd Nor, 85, said the matches, or “gesek” in the Kelantan dialect, remained relevant as they were still used to light fires and also cigarettes.
Although more and more people are now more comfortable using lighters, the sentimental value of the Kelantan-made matches allows the factory to continue with its production as there is always a demand for the product.
Kelantan Match Factory supervisor Mahmod Mohd Nor, 85, lighting up one of the matches that has been produced there since 1933. - Photo: Bernama
"The light from the matchstick and the smell of the sulphur give a different feeling to consumers, not like when they lit a fire with a lighter.
“Local residents also prefer using matches to burn their rubbish and the quality of the Cap Lada matches produced in the factory have remained the same since 1933, it is one of the contributing factors why this product continues to be in the market,” Mahmod said when met by Bernama recently.
On the history of the Kelantan Match Factory, Mahmod said it was the longest and oldest factory and has been operating on a 1.13ha complex here since 1933, despite the owner having changed three times.
“There are three main factories in this complex, comprising one that produces the match boxes, the other, which produces the matchsticks and the third, the packaging section.
"Currently, the factory has more than 30 employees who work six days a week from 8am to 5.30pm. The factory is capable of producing about 96,000 boxes of matches a day," said Mahmud, who is a Kota Baru native.
Workers at the Kelantan Match Factory filling matchsticks into the matchboxes. - Photo: Bernama
Having worked in the factory for 30 years, Mahmud is the best person to talk about the process of making matches.
The matchstick is made from a special type of wood which is imported from China, he said.
“There are seven steps to produce a 20mm matchbox, each containing about 50 matchsticks. The manufacturing process is divided into two, one to produce the boxes and the other, the matchsticks,” he added.
According to Mahmod, the process of making the box starts at the outer box machine when a thin piece of wood is folded, glued and wrapped in paper before it is dried.
"The boxes are dried using a dryer machine for about 10 minutes before the process continues on the inner box machine to produce the inside of the box," he said.
The next step is to paste the label on the box, which is done by three workers.
A worker at the Kelantan Match Factory sticking the 'Cap Lada' labels onto the matchboxes. - Photo: Bernama
"They will also also do the slide pasting on the box, which is to place the striking area on both sides of the boxes.
“The striking area has a mixture of carbide materials that will cause the match to light up when there is friction," said Mahmod.
According to him, to produce the matchsticks, the process is done in a different factory to avoid any unwanted incidents.
"The matchsticks are dipped into wax using a dipping machine. Then the head of the matchstick will be dipped in four ingredients, namely potassium chloride, starch, sulfur and silica before it is dried and put into a filling machine to be filled into the prepared matchboxes,” he added.
Matches being arranged before being put in boxes at the factory. - Photo: Bernama
Mahmod said when the boxes and matchsticks are ready, the two materials are sent to a packing machine for the packaging process and distributed nationwide.
As the only match factory still operating in the country, Mahmod said he was proud that they are still able to meet the demands of loyal fans.
He said, the factory used to produce special matches as souvenirs during the 1998 Commonwealth Games. - Bernama
A worker at the Kelantan Match Factory filling the matchboxes with matchsticks. - Photo: Bernama
Kelantan Match Factory supervisor Mahmod Mohd Nor, 85, holding up a bunch of completed matchsticks. - Photo: Bernama
Kelantan Match Factory supervisor Mahmod Mohd Nor, 85, checking on a worker who is pasting the labels on to the matchboxes at the factory. - Photo: Bernama
Kelantan Match Factory supervisor Mahmod Mohd Nor, 85, inspecting a batch of matches at the factory. - Photo: Bernama
For the past 89 years, the Kelantan Match Factory has been producing the popular 'Cap Lada' matches. - Photo: Bernama
