Nang Chong Stories : Cooperative Society

The Nang Chong Cooperative shop was a kind of 60's business centre for the village, where motor launches would stop to let passengers get off in the afternoon. It was just one ":shop house" before my grandmother's house in Nang Chong.

Mails would be dropped off at the jetty and the manager would come out to collect them. It was a convenient stop. Many would also stop here and pick up their bicycles which they left parked there in the morning. A half day trip was completed and the villagers would then be going home with some goods for the family.

The business was run by a manager appointed democratically by the investors or members of the cooperative. It was quite a busy cooperative for quite a number of years.

I do not have a photograph of this Hak Jok Sia or Cooperative. But I have a photo of the one at Paradom.

I am sure many people of my age would remember what I remember. 



A cooperative store was encouraged by the Colonial Government, with the local villagers learning to invest. Members were allowed to take goodies and sign and IOU. Later some members did not pay up and the cooperative went into debts.

So after a few years the idea did not take off and the investors took back their money. Good idea but some how it did not work.