The Rubber Trade Association of Penang (), one of the oldest surviving rubber trade associations in the country, represents the interests of members of the rubber trade in the state. It is also known as the Penang Rubber Trade Association.
Background The oldest surviving rubber trade body from British Malaya is the Singapore International Chamber of Commerce Rubber Association,Official website of the Singapore International Chamber of Commerce Rubber Association formed at a special general meeting of the (then) Singapore Chamber of Commerce and Exchange, at the Exchange Room on 20 June 1911.The Straits Times, 12 June 1911, Page 5The Straits Times, 21 June 1911, Page 7 From its first auction on 12 September till the end of that year, the Singapore Chamber of Commerce Rubber Association held 12 auctions. Fifty-two auctions were held in 1912.The Straits Times, 24 February 1913, Page 8
Shortly after, in 1913, the Penang Chamber of Commerce formed a Rubber Association to provide a market for this principal article of local agriculture through weekly auction sales. It was envisaged that large supplies of rubber would be attracted and that there would be regular buyers.The Straits Times, 26 June 1913, Page 9 When the idea for the Rubber Association was first mooted, Allen Dennys and Company, who had already been performing auctions in Penang since November 1912, in an earlier circular to their clients, asked them to favour the firm by appointing them as their agents, promising to defray all fees due to The Chamber out of the 1 per cent commission charged.28 October 1912, Page 7The Straits Times, 19 May 1913, Page 11 The first auction was held on 12 November where 24,707 lbs. were offered of which 22,882 lbs were sold.The Straits Times, 14 November 1913, Page 9 In January 1915, at the annual general meeting of the Penang Chamber of Commerce, Messrs. Allen Dennys & Co. asked for a fixed fee of $5 be paid in respect of each occasion a seller conducts a sale in the chamber, instead of the prevailing brokerage of one-eighth percent, pointing out that the firm had been the sole supporter of the association and that 91.50 percent of the fees had been borne by them. The committee discussing the issue, objected, pointing out that while the facts relating to the percentage of fees were admitted, that percentage it was also necessary to acknowledge that the business had increased by more than 150 percent since the start of the association fourteen months earlier. At this point, Allen Dennys & Co. had withdrawn from membership in the association, which brought sales in the association room to a halt. Other members were called upon to step forward and fill the place vacated by Allen Dennys & Co.The Straits Times, 23 January 1915, Page 10 In August 1915, at the half-yearly general meeting chaired by John Mitchell, it was revealed that the position remained the same as advised at the general meeting earlier – no member had come forward with any propositions and the committee had not taken any steps to re-establish sales under the Penang Chamber of Commerce Rubber Association.The Straits Times, 21 August 1915, Page 10 There was nothing more heard on the subject and the interests of members of Penang's rubber trade remained unrepresented until the advent of the Rubber Trade Association of Penang, in the form of its original incarnation, The Penang Rubber Exchange. Allen Dennys' firm, however, continued to hold rubber auctions, on their own. By late February 1917, the firm had conducted its 258th sale.The Straits Times, 26 February 1917, Page 10 The results of each of the firm's rubber auctions was published in the Straits Times, the last of which appeared in the issue of 18 May 1918.The Straits Times, 18 May 1918, Page 8
Chronology of early history The Penang Rubber Exchange was established in 1919 by Khor Ewe-Keng who was also a trustee of the organisation.The Straits Times, 21 May 1939, Page 3Drabble, J. H. (1973) Rubber in Malaya, 1876-1922: the genesis of the industry. Oxford University Press. p.103 On 7 February 1925, the Penang Rubber Exchange celebrated its sixth anniversary. Ch'ng Eng-Heng, president, presided over a dinner that included Allen Dennys,Allen Henry Bain Dennys, the son of Dr. Nicholas Belfield Dennys (Assistant Protector of Chinese at Singapore, Protector of Chinese and Magistrate at British North Borneo, and acting Judge and Member of Council), was born in Scarsdale, New York and educated in Essex. He was a rubber auctioneer, shipping agent and property assessor. He came to Malaya when only 16 years of age, arriving at Singapore in 1887 where he joined the shipping department of Boustead & Co, a firm he remained with for eight years. From there he took up appointment as manager of W. Mansfield & Co.'s Penang branch, six years after that he joined Wooldridge & Co. where his brother was working. He eventually acquired that firm which was renamed Allen Dennys & Co. Allen Dennys & Co. grew from a tiny operation with six native clerks to become one of the leading firms in Penang, employing two Europeans, thirty other assistants and several hundred coolies, with a fleet of twenty-five lighters continually employed, and godowns capable of storing 14,000 tons of cargo. The firm was acquired, in 1920 by The Borneo Co., officially assuming the management of the Penang Branch of the Borneo Co. Ltd., during the absence on leave of F. E. Dilley, in May 1923, and with remaining with the firm until he again established his own business, this time known as A. Dennys, at Penang, in 1924. He had a personal interest in the rubber trade - he was a Shareholder and Director of Ayer Kuning Rubber along with C. W.Barnett, W. Fox Clarke, H. F. Morris, W. E. Mann, A. Stephen Anthony, S. C. Ambrose, A. H. Heaps, A. F. Moraes, A. F. Goodrich, L. Hoefeld, F. C. Lean, G. H. Pritchard, J. G. Brown and Dr. T. C. Avetoom. In 1914, his firm, Allen Dennys & Co. undertook the transhipment and forwarding five 600-ton tin dredgers to various firms in Perak. He was interested in the Menglembu Lode Syndicate Ltd., whose other members included W. H. Thorne, A. S. Anthony, A. R. A. R. S. M. Muthiah Chetty, J. Crabb-Watt, H. Muir, G. N. Saye, J. L. Woodford, M. C. Corbett, H. J. Cooper and others. He had an interest in the Parit Perak Rubber Company, Ltd., along with others like F. Daxbury, L. E. Slowe, P. Simpson, and C. Trim Johnson. Along with F. E. Dilley, D. T. Lewis, F. H. Grumitt, Allen Dennys had an interest in Padang Plandok Tin Ltd. Together with D. A. M. Brown he was appointed the Penang Chamber of Commerce's Special Arbitrator in April 1923. Allen Dennys died after a protracted illness, in the General Hospital. (Straits Times, 17 November 1900, p.2; 24 April 1913, Page 9; 20 March 1914, p.10; 21 August 1915, p.10; 14 March 1916, 28 March 1916, p8; 21 May 1917, p.8; Page 8; 26 October 1918, p.10; 30 April 1919, Page 10; 30 April 1920, p.8; 17 February 1923, p8; 11 April 1923, p.10; 24 May 1923, p.8; 28 January 1924, p.10; Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884-1942), 8 July 1914, Page 10; 30 April 1919, Page 10; 24 November 1933, p.2) R.N. Holmes,Major R. N. Holmes, M.C., of the 4th Lincolns and 6th North Straffords rejoined R. T. Reid & Co. in November 1919 and was responsible for the business in Penang and Ipoh. The company was acquired by William Jacks & Co., later William Jacks & Co. (Malaya) Ltd., and Holmes relocated to Singapore, where he became assistant managing director for several years. He then set up business in London as a turf accountant in partnership with R. C. Scott, with offices in St. Martins Le Grand. (Straits Times 17 November 1919, p.8; 8 January 1929, p.8; Mar 1939, p.14) W. M. Frater, V.D. Volta, P.W. Saffery, K. Mano, Dr. Ando and representative of the Rubber Trade. Heah Joo-Seang, Honorary Secretary, interpreted the speeches of various persons present from the vernacular into English and vice versa.The Straits Times, 14 February 1925, Page 2 On 14 March 1925, at the annual general meeting of the Penang Rubber Exchange, the following were elected office-bearers for the year:– president, Ch'ng Eng-Heng; vice-president, Yeoh Boon-Wan; Hon. Secretary, Heah Joo-Seang; Hon. Asst. Secretary, Lim Pek-Young; Hon. Treasurer, Lam Hor-Tuck; Hon. Auditor, Low Ee-Beng; Committee, Messrs. Khaw Ewe-Keng, Tan Geok-Oh, Ong Keng-Seng, Khoo Heng-Poon, Tan Keat-Yong and Tan Bin-Cheng.The Straits Times, 20 March 1925, Page 8 In 1927, the Penang Rubber Exchange gained exemption from registration.The Straits Times, 27 August 1927, Page 9 In 1930, the Penang Rubber Exchange held its eleventh annual general meeting at its premises, 14 China Street, Penang where the following were elected for 1930: president, Heah Joo-Seang; vice-president, Khoo Beng-Cheang; Hon. Secretary, Lim Pek-Young; Asst. Hon. Secretary Chew Hup-Khim; Hon. Treasurer, Lim Choon-Wah; Hon. Auditor, Lau Ee-Beng; committees, Messrs. Lau Geok-Swee, Tan Leng-Hean, Yeoh Kok-Chim, Cheah Phee-ee, Khor Ewe-Keng, Yeoh Hooi-Yeang, Geh Chor-Oo, Lee Guat-Cheow, Chuah Kee-Teen and Koay Ah-Kim.The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884-1942), 4 June 1930, Page 6 At the 1936 annual general meeting of the Penang Rubber Exchange, it was decided to remit $1,000 in Chinese currency towards the appeal from the Teo Chew Hoay Kuan for funds to build an embankment in Fujian. $500 was also voted towards the maintenance of the Orphans' Institute in Zhongzhou, Fujian and $100 to the Chong Cheng Middle School, Zhengzhou. Office-bearers elected for the year were: president, Lee Guan-Cheow; vice-president, Heah Joo-Seang; secretary, Khaw Pheah-Teng; Asst. Secretary, Phuah Eng Siang; treasurer, Yew Phoo Boh; auditor, Low Ee Beng; Committee, Messrs. Chew Kuan-Say, Geh Chor-Hee, Lim Oon-Kum, Ooi Phang-Kow, Yeoh Hooi-Yang, Tan Leng-Pek, Liew Pit-Lum, Low Geok-Swee, Lum Aik and Co., and Keat Kok Brothers.The Straits Times, 6 July 1936, Page 17 In October 1941, the Penang Rubber Exchange presented a cheque for $3,400 to the commander of the Penang Local Defence Corps for a mobile canteen. In appreciation for this gift, the commander of the Local Defence Corps said that the name of the Penang Rubber Exchange, in English and in Chinese, would be inscribed on the canteen.The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884-1942), 13 October 1941, Page 5 In May 1946 the Penang Rubber Exchange decided to make representations to the chief secretary of the Malayan Union (1) To fix the date for the restoration of Penang's free port status, and not to tax goods already in Penang; and (2) To ask that rubber duties be paid only at Butterworth and Prai, where customs houses had been opened.The Straits Times, 24 May 1946, Page 5 In early June a petition was sent to the Assistant Comptroller of Customs and Excise pointing out that excise duty levied on Penang "constitutes an injustice to the local rubber trade." The body alleged that "large consignments of rubber, which ordinarily were forwardrd to Penang for sale," had been "diverted to Singapore to the detriment of Penang's interests" as a result of the excise duty then being imposed. The Exchange asked that Penang, being a free port, should enjoy the same privilege as Singapore where no tax was being collected.The Singapore Free Press, 7 June 1946, Page 5 European rubber dealers and packers in Penang and Province Wellesley, through the Penang Chamber of Commerce, agreed to back the Penang Rubber Exchange in any revised scale of handling that The Exchange might propose to labourers.The Straits Times, 11 June 1947, Page 5