More than a century on, Long Chan still bubbles in the hearts of everyday Malaysians.
Long Chan is a no-frills carbonated drink brand that has been tickling taste buds and bubbling through the memories of generations of Malaysians, young and old alike. Many Malaysians, particularly those from the central and northern regions, may never have heard of Long Chan soft drinks.
Yet for those who grew up in the southern states of Johor, Melaka and Negeri Sembilan (as I did), the mere mention of Long Chan uncaps a bottleful of nostalgia. It harks back to a simpler era when tastes were uncomplicated, means were modest, and happiness could often be found in life's little pleasures.
If memory serves me right, the factory once produced an assortment of flavours including orange, sarsaparilla, ice cream soda, soda water, grape, mixed fruit, lychee and ginger ale during the 1960s and 1970s. Today, the range has been streamlined to five enduring favourites: orange, ice cream soda, grape, mixed fruit and sarsaparilla — a flavour redolent of my childhood, and my personal favourite.
For many Malay kampung families, this commoner's drink was an indispensable part of Hari Raya celebrations. After all, it was often the one occasion each year when they could enjoy this fizzy treat to their heart's content after a month of fasting. As one devoted consumer aptly put it: "Raya bukan Raya tanpa Air Long Chan" (Raya is not Raya without Long Chan drink).
The drink even earned the affectionate nickname "Oren Bodho." "Oren" is a generic Malay term for soft drinks, while "bodho" means "Raya" in Javanese, a dialect widely spoken in Johor.
The Long Chan story began humbly in the small Negeri Sembilan town of Kuala Pilah. Its founder, a labourer from Hainan — China's southernmost province and its only wholly tropical island — witnessed the growing thirst for soft drinks in Malaya during the early 20th century, fuelled by the country's year-round tropical heat.
The business started with just three workers who bottled, packed and delivered the drinks by bullock cart to homes, sundry shops and coffee shops in kampungs, new villages and small towns.
Affordable and refreshingly unpretentious, Long Chan quickly became the drink of choice among ordinary folk who cared little for premium brands such as F&N and Coca-Cola. From its original base in Kuala Pilah, the company later relocated to various locations in Melaka before settling at its current premises in Zarina Industrial Park, Rembia, Alor Gajah.
Long before sustainability became a corporate buzzword, Long Chan was already practising a form of circular economy. Empty glass bottles were returned to the factory, washed and reused. Even the wooden crates used for transportation reflected the brand's eco-friendly philosophy: sturdy, practical and built to last.
Today, despite an increasingly crowded marketplace awash with flashy labels and aggressively marketed beverages, Long Chan continues to hold its ground. The brand remains popular in the southern states while steadily carving out a niche following in the central region.
One place where enthusiasts can enjoy a bottle is Restoran Warisan Sambal Opah in UEP Subang Jaya, where rows of the familiar drink continue to evoke memories of bygone days.
Now well into its second century of production, this humble drink shows little sign of losing its fizz. Without the benefit of expensive nationwide advertising campaigns, the Long Chan brand continues to thrive through word-of-mouth, nostalgic appeal and the timeless charm of its old-school packaging. Like the rooster perched proudly atop a globe in its logo, this homegrown beverage continues to crow its presence across generations, quenching thirsts while preserving a cherished slice of Malaysian heritage.
Dorothy Lung (dottielung@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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