Tin Mining is one of the oldest industries in Malaya. It has been carried on in Malaya for centuries. Tin especially attracted the Indian merchants who wanted it for its non-rusting quality. Soon, even Arabian and Chinese merchants were trading with this product.

Since the olden days, tin has been used to make bronze by mixing copper to it. Bronze was commonly used in sculpturing, making weaponry, tools and utensils. It was also used for the minting of coin by the Malay Sultanates.

Even before the 19th century, the Malayan people had began mining tin using the primitive method of dulang washing.

It was only in the 1820s that tin mining started thriving in Malaya after the arrival of Chinese immigrants. The Chinese immigrants settled in Perak and started tin mines

It may seem impossible, but tin mining actually helped Malaysia to thrive in the earlier days. Britain, the overlord there actually followed the policy of non-intervention until they realized tin was an important source of revenue there. This was why Britain started intervening with the state's affair.

Adapted from "History of Malaya"

Tin has been found in the tombs of ancient Egyptians and was exported to Europe in large quantities from Cornwall, England, during the Roman period. The ancient Egyptians considered tin and lead different forms of the same metal.

HOMEPAGE | TIN MINING PAGE | USES OF TIN | HISTORY OF TIN | METHODS OF MINING | CASE STUDY | MINING HAZARDS | WASTELAND RECOVERY