The coasts of the Malay Peninsula used to be part of the sea route that connected East Asia and the Middle East. This route began in the ports of Shantung Peninsula, rounded the coasts of Malaya and India and ended in the Persian Gulf [Source: Shaw, William & Mohd. Kassim Ali 1971, Coins of North Malaya, National Museum, Kuala Lumpur]. Situated mid-way of this sea route, trading ports on the Malay Peninsula became the halfway meeting points between East Asian and Middle Eastern traders. The strategic location of the Malay Peninsula became transformed it into one of the earliest and most famous trading areas in the world.
The trading centers in the Malay Peninsula started as early as the 2nd. century A.D. Its geographical advantage in the trading system of the early days saw the Malay Peninsula and Archipelago as a base for many early governments such as Langkasuka, North East of the Peninsula (100 Century A.D.), Old Kedah Chih-cha, West of the Peninsula (5th. - 14th. Century A.D), Pan Pan, North of the Peninsula / Isthmus Kra, South Thailand (5th. Century A.D.), Srivijaya, Palembang, Sumatera (7th. - 13th. Century A.D.), Chih-tu, North of the Peninsula in the vicinity of the Kelantan river (about 1,000 years ago), Tan-tan, Terengganu, Tun-sun, North of the Peninsula and Singhasari - Majapahit, Java (1222 - 1292 A.D.) [Source: Bank Negara Malaysia, 1995. Pameran Matawang Perdagangan Kepulauan Melayu (18 Mei - 14 Jun 1995) Unit Muzium Matawang, Bank Negara Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur p. 9]
The trading ports and centres in the Malay Peninsula did not only connect East Asia and the Middle East but also the West and far East. That was the extend of the role of the Malay Peninsula as a connecting point for traders. The Malay Peninsula not only offered strategic stopovers for traders also provided abundance of products highly sought after by these traders such as spices, jungle produce and exotic items as well as minerals such as gold and tin.
Gold and tin mining activities in the Malay Peninsula could have started as early as 2nd. century A.D. if the term Golden Chersonese that means the Golden Peninsula that was used by Ptolemy was indeed referring to the Malay Peninsula. Although the gold and tin reserves of the Malay Peninsula attracted the Chinese as early as the 7th. century A.D., the tin mining activities were operated by the Malays until the middle of the 19th. century. Foreign workers were subsequently brought in to cater for additional labor requirement when the industry expanded with increased tin mining activities through discoveries and opening of new mines. Based on records, gold and tin were the major exports of Malacca in 1408 and minor exports of Pahang and Kelantan in the 13th. century A.D.
The tin mining activities operated by the Malays involves various supernatural believes and rituals. The central belief is that tin possessed a spirit and can move from one place to another and that this movement is controlled by the guardian of the spirit, jin tanah or the earth genie. The belief influenced the tin mining activities from the process of locating tin mining areas, opening of the areas and how they were operated. The spirit of the tin must be appeased or the tin will move away from the mining area or calamities will befall mining activities at the mine.
Communications with the spirit and earth genie were done through a medium of Malay pawang or traditional medicine man. Magical rites will be performed to obtain permission to mine and animal sacrifices will be offered in return for abundance of tin and avoidance of calamities at the mining site. Castings of spells were done to protect the miners and the site from disturbance of other supernatural forces. Charms were also used for the well being of the miners and the mines. Although the tin mining activities were taken over by the Chinese from the Malays in the Middle 19th. century, the rituals and supernatural activities remained a practice in the industry.
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