Ramjeet says Daisy and Maya have become synonymous with the Petaling Jaya factory. — LOW BOON TAT/The Star
THE iconic cow and calf statues located at a milk manufacturing facility in Section 13, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, will bid adieu to PJ residents on Oct 27.
The pair, known as Daisy and Maya, will be moved to Dutch Lady Milk Industries Bhd’s (DLMI) new home in Bandar Enstek, Negri Sembilan.
Ramjeet.The relocation to the 13ha facility, three times larger than its old premises, is part of the company’s strategy to improve operations.
The facility has been designed and equipped to meet increasing production demands and to align with sustainable operational goals, said DLMI managing director Ramjeet Kaur Virik.
The company decided to take Daisy and Maya along, she said, as the duo had become synonymous with the original factory.
“The statues were commissioned in 1969 from an Australian artist named Betty Chen who was based in Malaysia at the time.
“They were completed and installed outside the factory in April 1970.
“Since then, the site has provided a perfect photo opportunity for locals and factory visitors,” she added.
Ramjeet shared how DLMI managed to trace Chen, now 91 and residing in Australia.
“With the help of her daughter, we sought Chen’s advice on how to safely remove, transport and reinstal the statues at the new factory,” she added.
On DLMI’s history, Ramjeet said the manufacturer was incorporated in 1963 as Pacific Milk Industries.
“The Petaling Jaya factory was our first, completed in 1966 to manufacture our initial product, sweetened condensed milk.
“We evolved to produce varieties of milk products such as liquid milk and powdered infant formula, and ceased production of sweetened condensed milk.”
She said expansion over the years led the factory to reach its capacity.
“Besides, the area which was previously an industrial zone has been redesignated for commercial and residential use.”
Ramjeet said the Bandar Enstek factory, opened in May, had gradually taken over operations, with all operations fully transferred in August.
“Some of the staff have decided to move with us and we are excited about the future at the new place,” she said.
Two of these staff are logistics manager Jamaludin Abu Samah from Shah Alam, and laboratory technician Mohd Zabidi Bahazim from Ara Damansara.
Jamaludin, 59, said he joined the factory as a general worker at the age of 18 and worked up the ranks.
“I love my job and have never considered looking for other options.
“Now that I am close to retirement, it is natural for me to end my career at the company where it started and where I have stayed for over four decades,” he said.
Mohd Zabidi, 54, who started as a general worker aged 20, said job growth and satisfaction made him stay.
When contacted, Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung said the factory was a significant part of the city’s development history.
“It would be nice if the new owner retained some part of the original building to remind the people of its legacy,” he said.
Long-time Petaling Jaya resident and former Section 14 Residents Association chairman Selva Sugumaran said it was sad that some key identity symbols of the original Petaling Jaya were changing.
“Those who would be most affected by the factory relocation would be small-scale food businesses that have been catering to the factory staff over the decades,” he said.
