GEORGE TOWN: The production of bee hoon (rice vermicelli) is facing a critical stage with manufacturers running out of wood waste to fuel their furnaces.

       To keep production running, manufacturers have resorted to using a mixture of wood waste and palm kernel waste to save their stock of wood waste.

       The nationwide lockdown on non-essential industries such as the timber industry has led to a shortage of firewood and wood waste, which is used to fuel furnaces.

       Malaysia Beehoon Manufacturers Association president Datuk Ang Cho Teing said the heat must be at a certain temperature to produce good quality rice vermicelli.

       “If there is insufficient heat, the bee hoon will break. The quality of bee hoon produced has to be maintained at all times and this can only be done by using wood waste to fuel the furnaces,” he added.

       Ang said bee hoon manufacturers produced about 5,000 tonnes of the foodstuff per month, valued at RM500,000. Nearly 90% was for local consumption.

       Besides bee hoon, wood waste is used for the production of dry bean curd, with some kuey teow manufacturers also using it.

       Ang said a letter was sent on June 24 to International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Azmin Ali seeking permission to let timber operations resume, but no response had been received so far.

       Meanwhile, the Malaysian Timber Industry Forum Association sent a letter to the Prime Minister on June 25 to allow the nationwide opening of the industry.

       Its president Datuk Wira Sheikh Othman Rahman said the timber industry is one of the largest contributors to the nation’s economy with an export value of RM22.02bil in 2020, of which RM12.85bil was from furniture manufacturers and exporters.