‘Bedak Sejuk’ Maker Sustains 50-year Legacy, Output Peaks During Hot Spells

BALIK PULAU, April 5 (Bernama) -- From a home in the Chinese village of Kuala Jalan Bharu here, a traditional bedak sejuk producer continues a nearly 50-year-old family legacy, relying on a labour-intensive process that is heavily dependent on the weather.

For Yeoh Sing Huat, 48, producing the cooling facial powder is not merely a source of income but a responsibility inherited from his late father, Yeoh Teng Beng, who founded Perniagaan Bedak Sejuk Lean Seng almost five decades ago.

Fondly known as Ah Huat, he said the business began as a small-scale effort serving the local community but has since attracted customers from across the country.

“After my father passed away in 2016 at the age of 74, I decided to continue what he started. I saw how hard he worked even in his later years, and that gave me the determination to carry on,” he told Bernama.

Despite the rise of modern skincare products, Yeoh remains committed to traditional methods, producing bedak sejuk using only local rice and water, without chemical additives.

The process is both lengthy and meticulous. Crushed rice is soaked for about a month to ferment, with the water changed daily, before being ground into a paste, filtered and shaped into small pellets.

The pellets are then sun-dried for at least three days, a critical stage that depends entirely on favourable weather conditions.

“In the past, the rice was soaked for up to a year, but now we adjust to current needs. Even so, the entire process still takes about 40 days,” he said, adding that the product is also laboratory-tested to ensure safety and compliance with standards.

Weather remains his biggest challenge. During hot spells, Yeoh can produce up to 100 bottles a day, or about 20 kilogrammes, but output drops significantly during rainy periods.

“When it rains, sometimes we can only work a few days in a month. There are even times we have to discard the product because it does not dry properly,” he said.

Each batch yields about 957 pellets, all shaped by hand, reflecting his emphasis on quality despite limited manpower.

Although returns are uncertain due to weather constraints, Yeoh continues to manage almost the entire production process himself to preserve the family legacy.

The product attracts customers from all communities, including wholesalers who purchase in bulk for rebranding, underscoring its enduring appeal.

However, Yeoh, who is single, admits uncertainty over whether the next generation will continue the business, as his siblings’ children have chosen different career paths.

“This is something used by everyone, the Malays, Chinese and Indians. If I don’t continue, who will? No matter how difficult it gets, I will keep going and hope someone will take over one day,” he said.

Often referred to as ‘grandmother’s beauty cream’, bedak sejuk remains a staple in traditional skincare, valued for its cooling, soothing and moisturising properties, especially in hot weather.

-- BERNAMA