Tangkak to soon turn into textile trade destination

Tangkak town, which also called as “Fabric Town” or “Syurga Kain” in honor of its many cloth shops in the state of Johor, Malaysia . A sub-district, it was upgraded in 2007 to become one of the state’s 10 districts. The textile business has turned Tangkak into a new tourist destination and will sooner seen as a textile trade destination of manufacturer and traders all over the world.

Its strength lies in the ability of local traders to purchase fabric from all over the world in bulk and resell them at competitive prices. The reason, foreign merchants and local textile traders choose to sell their products in Tangkak is due to the proximity of the Tangkak toll, which is a mere 3km away. Women make up the majority of their customers.

A group of young cloth merchants who had learnt their trade in Singapore, Johor Baru, Kuala Lumour and other parts of the country started the town’s textile business in the 1990s. Over the years, more than 40 textile shops have opened on a one-kilometre stretch along Jalan Payamas.
In 2003, Tangkak textile traders expanded their businesses to Nilai, about 80km away. They used it as an operating and marketing base to explore new frontiers and compete with Kuala Lumpur traders.

Traders from other states, such as Kedah and Kelantan, flocked to Tangkak to learn the secrets of their success returning to their hometowns to set up their own businesses.

An increasing number of tourists who visit the legendary Gunung Ledang, nearby, stop over at Tangkak for food and shop for fabric.

Tangkak has great potential to become one of the fastest developing districts in Johor. The multi- million ringgit projects under the Ninth Malaysia Plan, which started in 2009, are expected to be completed this year. With these developments, Tangkak will soon emerge as a hotest destination where manufacturers and traders from all over the world will come together to display their latest designs under one roof.