| Abstract: | In 1985, the people of the once tinrich and prosperous Kinta Valley faced a desperate situation when the tin market collapsed. The nightmare was a result of cumulative effects — high cost of production, low yield of mines and extensive use of cheaper alternatives. But the negative effects on tin mining settlements were avoided due largely to Malaysia’s successful economic restructuring and the inflow of international capital in the manufacturing sector which has helped the local economy to recover. With tin mining disappearing from the Malaysian landscape, most of those still living in settlements previously highly dependent on tin have been able to find alternative livelihoods. |
