History of Rubber in Malaysia

Rubber was introduced by British colonists to Singapore in 1877 via Brazil, Kew Gardens in
London and Sri Lanka. Within a decade after it was introduced slash and burn agriculturalists
in remote parts of Southeast Asia planted rubber trees in their cultivated plots. Malaysia had
an ideal climate, soil for rubber and plenty of land. Production increased dramatically after
the 1890s when there was a huge surge in demand for rubber. For many years rubber were
Malaysia’s primary exports.

By the 1930s, Malaysia produced half of the world’s rubber. Many of the Chinese and
Indians that live in Malaysia today are descendants of laborers brought to work on the rubber
plantations. For the most part the plantations were owned by European owners. They helped
transform Malaysia into Britain’s richest colony. After independence, many of the plantations
were turned over to Malaysian hands.

Declining prices and competition has forced many farmers to abandon rubber, and rubber
tapers are becoming a dying breed. Between 1999 and 2004, 300,000 hectares of the 1.4
million hectares of planted rubber were abandoned, in many cases in favor of oil palms which
are more lucrative. . So many have given up on rubber that some Malaysian rubber
manufacturers have to import rubber and Malaysia has become one of the world’s largest
importers of rubber.

Traditionally, just under half of Malaysia’s rubber production came from smallholders rather
than from estates and plantations. In the 1990s, a typical rubber tapper, who spent about six
hours a day tapping 400 trees, made about $131 a month. Farmers got $65 a month from the
government if their income fell below $60 a month.

Of all the wonderful tales brought back by Christopher Columbus in 1496 after his second
voyage to the New World, none was stranger than the tale of a ball, which bounced. The
people of Haiti made these playballs from the gum of a tree.
Although they did not realise it, Columbus and his crew were the first Europeans to see this
unique substance – rubber. It did not get its name until much later – in 1770, an eminent
English chemist, Joseph Priestley, noted the ability of this substance to ‘rub out’ pencil
marks, and ever since it has been called rubber in the English language.In spite of the interest
it aroused very little use was made of the new discovery. This was mainly because no one
knew how to prevent the rubber becoming sticky in summer and brittle in winter.
In the early nineteenth century, all this changed. In 1820, Thomas Hancock, an Englishman
invented a machine, which would soften, mix and shape rubber. It was then possible to
dissolve rubber and start making useful products. Soon after, there was another important
discovery, this time by an American. In 1839, Charles Goodyear found by accident that raw
rubber could be improved by heating it with sulphur. The new material produced, called
vulcanized rubber, was no longer affected by changes in temperature.

As other inventors found uses for rubber the demand grew. Some of the first products to be
made from rubber were hose, conveyor belts, flooring and footwear – these still use rubber
today. In the middle of the nineteenth century rubber came from South America, where the
hot wet climate suited the wild rubber tree, but it was very difficult to collect it from the
dense jungle. It soon became obvious that more rubber would have to be grown elsewhere to
meet the demand.

Rubber was not a native tree of Malaysia. The story of how rubber was introduced to
Malaysia when in 1876, Sir Henry Wickham, at the request of the India Office, collected and
shipped from Brazil 70,000 seeds from the wild rubber tree. These were rushed to Kew
Gardens in London and planted in specially prepared hot-houses. The small number, which
survived, were taken in 1877 to Ceylon and later to Malaysia and other countries of South-
east Asia. The rubber tree quickly flourished in Malaysia; large areas of jungle were cut down
and planted with rubber trees

By the end of the nineteenth century there were 2500 hectares of rubber in Asia. Shortly
afterwards Henry Ford started making his famous motorcar and the demand for rubber – to
make tyres – rocketed. The trees in the South American jungle could not possibly produce
enough rubber and so the new plantations of Malaysia found that the world wanted all the
rubber they could produce, and more. By 1910 there were ½ million hectares of rubber
planted and the countries of Asia mainly Malaysia had now become the main suppliers of
rubber.
Topography of Rubber in Malaysia

In Malaysia, Rubber can grow anywhere, because of the suitability of climate and top soil;
but most of the rubber estates are strenuous in the western coastal plains of Malaysia. The
plantation in coastal zone gets the benefit of nearest port for its export. Yet very low areas are
avoided in order not to suffer from stagnation of water. The greatest production is in its Johor
State of Southern Malaysia. Over here Rubber cultivation occupies about 4-2 million acres or
about 66% of the total cultivated area in the nation. Malaysia eyes rubber, oil plantations in
Myanmar. Malaysia is planning to expand the rubber plantation by going globally in certain
countries. Recently in a press conference the Minister of oil and plantation, Malaysia has
announced to go for rubber plantation in Myanmar. The topography of the rubber plantations
vary from level lands to gentle, moderate and steep slopes. The high rainfall in the rubber
growing regions and the undulating topography in many situations make the soil vulnerable
to erosion hazards. Growing of intercrops necessitates soil disturbing tillage operations of
various kinds. This will predispose the top soil to erosion losses in steep and undulating
lands.
Area of Production

Rubber can grow anywhere in Malaysia because of the suitability of climate and soil, but
most of the rubber estates are concentrated in the western coastal plains of Malaysia. The
plantation in coastal zone gets the advantages of nearest port for its export. Yet very low area
are avoided in order not to suffer from stagnation of water. The greatest production is in its
Johor State of Southern Malaysia. Here rubber cultivation occupies about 4-2 million acres or
about 65% of the total cultivated area in the country. Comprising 12 of the 14 states in the
Malaysia federation, it is among the world’s most important rubber growing areas. Rubber is
also grown in Sabah and Sarawak. Altogether, Malaysia produces almost 20% of world’s
nature rubber. A good deal of Malaysia’s rubber (over half) comes from thousands of
privately owned plots of land called small holdings, which are usually about 2 hectares. The
rest is grown on big estates owned by various companies which each can cover over a
thousand hectares. Altogether, Malaysia has 1.7 million hectares of rubber.

Conditions favorable for rubber cultivation in Malaysia

The natural home of wild rubber tree (The Havea Brasiliensls) is in the Amazon Selvas,
which is the hot-wet climate is most suitable for its growth. Tapping of the trees are done
during dry days. Rain will hinder tapping process. It is a big tree that can grow up to 15-20
meter tall, so the planting distance between trees are ranged between 3-5 meter apart,
providing around 250-350 plants per acre. The plants take about 3 years to grow before they
are being tap. Most suitable geological factor are:

 A mean temperature of 27ºC, never falling below 22 ºC

 Heavy rainfall above 200cm, with no drought

 Deep rich soils with good drainage preferably scrumbly, well-oxidized and acidic in
reaction.

 Adequate supply of labour is an important factor for the collection and plantation of
rubber over large holdings.

Now, these have been split into small family-based holdings to reduce the capital investment,
cost and problems of employing a large labour forces. Half of total production now comes
from small-sized plantations.
Uses

The early uses of the material were quite limited. Initially the problem of natural rubber was
its sensitivity to temperature changes, which altered its shape and consistency. In 1839,
Charles Goodyear improved the process called vulcanization, which modified rubber. Now
rubber is used for making innumerable articles ranging from footwear, sport goods, cushion,
insulated material for cable, pencil, erasers to tyres and tubes. However, it is use for making
tyres and tubes of automobile which is the greatest importance. Thus, indirectly, rubber helps
in promoting the system of modern transport and communication. Many motorway bridges
are mounted on large blocks of natural rubber to allow the bridge to expand and contract
when the temperature goes up or down. Some buildings are now build on similar rubber
blocks to help stop vibration, particularly if they are near railways. In this and many other
ways, rubber helps to make life quieter and more comfortable.

Rubber Export

Malaysia produces about 1-5 million tons of natural rubber annually. A major part of it is sent
to Singapore or Penang, from where it is exported all over the world. The chief rubber-
importing countries are:

i. Singapore (for re-export)

ii. Russia and European countries

iii. U.S.A

iv. Japan

v. India

Method of Rubber Cultivation

The work of rubber plantation is done very scientifically. Every tree of a rubber estate is
carefully looked after. For this, some special type of laborers are employed. Rubber is plant
from the seedlings and become ready for tapping in 6 or 7 years. For making the rubber
plants high-yielding, its seedling are grafted. This is done in a very interesting way. When the
seedling are about 5 or 6 cm. in diameter, buds from the selected high-yielding trees are
grafted on the seedling. This is done to transmit the high-yielding quality of the ‘mother-tree’.
The graft is then kept bound and left for a few weeks. After a few weeks, the grafted are then
planted in row 5 or 6 meter apart from each other. In order to conserve the soil and its
fertility, some crop covers (leguminous creeper etc.) are planted in between the seedling
trees. During the period of its growth, planter take all the measure against pest and disease.
Manure and fertilizer are regularly added.

Rubber Tapping

All nature rubber originates in the Hevea tree, and it starts its journey when the tree is tapped.
Trees are rarely tapped more often than once every two days. Tapping is done by wounding
the bark of the rubber trees. When the liquid latex flows out, it is collected in vessels. If you
were a rubber tapper, you would have to get up every early in the morning. As the rubber
latex flow more easily before the heat of the day begins. Latex is a milk-like fluid contained
in tiny cells situated beneath the outer bark of the rubber tree. The latex is obtained from the
tree by tapping that is cutting away s thin shaving of the bark. This cut, which is made with a
special tapping knife, pierces the cells and the latex oozes slowly out to a collecting cup
places below. In two or three hours, the flow of latex ceases. By the time the tapper has cut
his last tree for the day, the latex collecting cup of the first is ready to be emptied into a larger
container. When all the cups have been emptied, the full container are taken to the factory,
where the latex is turner into raw rubber.

Rubber trees are not tapped until about five years after planting. By then, they can produce
enough rubber to make tapping worthwhile. After processing, it is sent to one of Malaysia’s
ports to be shipped overseas. Malaysian rubber goes to every country in the world and is
recognized to be the best. If you were working on your own small-holding, you would
probably take your latex to a group processing centre o processes rubber into sheet or sell it
to Mardec, a government agency which processes rubber into technically specified form.
 Rubber Processing

Coagulation

The latex obtained from the tree is treated chemically at the plantation factory. After the
collection of latex, it is sieved to remove the foreign matter. After this, it is put into tanks and
coagulated or thickened by the addition of acetic or formic acid. Each tank may have several
aluminum partitions that allow the coagulated rubber to be removed in thick slabs. The slabs
are then washed with acid and passed through rollers which press them into the rubber.

Advantages of Rubber Cultivations

i. Environment

The rising tide of environmental consciousness has put cultivation in favorable light.
Atmospheric pollution from the release of ‘greenhouse gases’, especially carbon dioxide from
the combustion of fossil fuels and the depletion of forests, especially the tropical rain forests
have been viewed with great concern. Studies have shown that rubber trees converts carbon
dioxide at a rate comparable to. The potential of natural rubber for sequestering the carbon
from the atmosphere to support the ecosystem is widely recognized and adopted for
establishing new forest or for reforestation purposes. Besides being environmentally
friendly, natural rubber trees are renewable resources where rubber wood can be extracted on
a shorter cycle without endangering the environment.

ii. Transgenic Rubber Tree as Medicine

In recent years, many inroads have been made into the other potential by-products of the
rubber tree. Besides planting the Hevea for rubber and timber, the rubber tree can also be
genetically engineered for novel application. By transforming Hevea with genes that control
the production of commercial proteins (e.g. pharmaceuticals), transgenic rubber plants could
serve as efficient, low cost, low maintenance and environment-friendly production lines for
the production of the targeted protein. Instead of expressing commercially valuable protein,
transgenic rubber trees can be serve as living ‘factories’ to produce pharmaceuticals in the
latex it exudes. Using this approach, a recombinant antibody has been successfully produced
in the latex of the transgenic rubber plant.