Here, for generations, prawn crackers have been produced using traditional methods. For many of the villagers, it is their economic lifeline.
Kampung Pukat is one of the oldest Chinese settlements in Sandakan, renowned for its seafood and derivative products including the cherished “keropok udang”. Sadly, this signature snack is at risk of disappearing, as few younger villagers show interest in continuing the tradition of making the crackers.
The existing producers are mostly elderly but still work tirelessly to earn a living and preserve their heritage.
Located about 330km from Kota Kinabalu, Kampung Pukat is a traditional coastal settlement founded by the Tanka community from Hong Kong during the British era.
The Tanka, originally a seafaring people who lived aboard boats, eventually established the village as a permanent fishing settlement. Built in the 1950s, it retains its iconic stilted wooden houses, reflecting the community’s deep reliance on the sea.
Today, Kampung Pukat is also home to several popular floating seafood restaurants, attracting visitors from in and out of Malaysia.
A mother’s legacy
Keropok udang is a staple during Chinese New Year here and a popular festive gift. Each year as the season approaches, 59-year-old Leong Chin Fai finds himself working hard to meet the surge in demand.
In 2020, he took over the family business from his mother, who was one of the pioneering prawn-cracker makers in the village. “My mother made keropok udang for more than 40 years. She’s old now, so I took over to carry on her legacy,” he told Bernama.
Made of fresh prawns and tapioca flour, the crackers take two to three days to produce, depending on the weather.
“We peel the fresh prawns and mix the flesh with tapioca flour, seasoning and red colouring. Once it’s well blended, we shape the mixture into blocks like ice-cream bars and sun-dry them until slightly firm.
“Then we slice them lengthwise using a special cutting board and dry them again until completely crisp before packing them for sale,” he outlined.
The crackers are produced based on orders from customers. Each 500g pack sells for RM30 for the original flavour and RM32 for the onion-flavoured version.
Leong admits that income from the business is unpredictable – at times, he sells only about 10 packs a month – but the Lunar New Year season helps him earn enough to get by.
“Usually, orders rise to between 2,000 and 3,000 packs during CNY, so I start preparing in advance as early as July or August,” he said, explaining that he cannot produce them in large quantities as he uses traditional methods to make the crackers.
Another long-time producer, 80-year-old Maggie Chau, began making prawn crackers years ago to help her mother-in-law. Today, she has taken over the business entirely.
She said it is largely elderly women who continue the legacy of making keropok udang traditionally; the younger generation has lost interest in the trade that has been the identity of their village for over four decades.
Although her income is modest, she takes pride in knowing that her prawn-cracker business and other seafood products helped her raise six children, all of whom have their own careers now.
Expressing concern that the tradition may one day vanish, she said younger people are reluctant to take it up because the earnings are small.
“The market for keropok udang isn’t big, so it’s not done on a large scale. Still, there’s always demand, especially from regular local customers and buyers from districts like Tawau and Kota Kinabalu.
“It is just enough to sustain us,” Chau said, adding that the crackers are not marketed in peninsular Malaysia.