An Introduction On Rubber Processing

We went to Taman Warisan Pertanian (Agriculture Heritage Park) located in Putrajaya last Saturday. While this is not our first visit to the Park, it is our first to enter the Rubber Plantation and the rubber demonstration area.

I grew up in a village where rubber tapping was one of the main source of income, so coming here was a bit nostalgic for me. And the trip was the first time Raimie saw and touched rubber milk/liquid latex and processed rubber.

A Kampung style showhouse nestled in the rubber plantation. If you go there quite late like us, you kinda felt the eerie feeling of going into an abandoned house. Suffice to say, I didn't stay long inside. Spooky!
A rubber tree, with a cup attached to its side to catch the rubber milk.
Close up on the rubber milk. Rubber milk is usually collected in the morning and by afternoon, it will be molded into sheets. This machine is used to make rubber sheets/getah keping. Think of pasta/noodle machine which you use to flatten the dough into thin strips.

To process these getah keping is much harder than selling them as getah sekerap. (Anyone know what is the English term for getah sekerap?)
Raimie trying his hand on using the machine and making a rubber sheet
Rubber sheets

Do you know that the name "rubber" was presumably coined in 1770 by the famous chemist Joseph Priestley (discoverer of oxygen), who realized that the substance could erase (rub out) pencil marks? So now you know why we call an Eraser a Rubber in this part of the world.

Comments

  1. Getah sekerap sounds like "scrap rubber" to me :p

    Interesting park in Putrajaya, until now I've never been to Putrajaya yet xD

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  2. @Jim,
    thanks! I think that's it! :)

    Truthfully, apart from the parks and the lake, I feel there's nothing much to do at Putrajaya

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  3. I've never been there! Interesting information about the eraser and rubber. Didn't know that!

    Spooky inside abandoned showhouse? Lucky you didn't hear a pontianak laughter or something. Haha!

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  4. getah tu boleh buat kaler kaler ke.. confirm afriena suruh buat kaler pink

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  5. @foong,
    I didn't know also. :D But now we know why we call an Eraser, Rubber already lah...

    @Yatie,
    kalo kat kampung tak pernah tengok kaler-kaler punye. Tapi ini kat tempat demo. Saje letak yg kaler kaler kot. Afriena suka pink ek?

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  6. Very informative and interesting too.. Before it I have read it but graphical representation observed for the very first time and impressed..

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  7. I have an Uncle who owns a rubber plantation in JB and I used to go there as a kid. They have to get up very early in the morning to collect the rubber milk.

    Your sidebar and EC are not showing. I'll come back again.

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  8. Your sidebar is ok now. I can see it and drop my EC. :D

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  9. thanks for the write-up about this place. it must be a great experience and a good introduction to rubber processing.:)

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  10. good news for you Lina. since u and MT visit me at exactly the same time, i'll display your avatar as well. but which badge do you want me to display? pls let me know, will ya?

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  11. @Roof Coating, ECL & Life Ramblings,
    it was an informative visit and we all learn a lot there. Pity the few times we've been there, there weren't many visitors around.

    Life Ramblings,
    Can use the Urutora No Hi's? I like that one best. :)

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