Skip to main content

Advertisement

Advertisement

#trending: Businessman behind Mamee Monster snack dies aged 96, tributes pour in online

SINGAPORE — Pang Chin Hin, the Malaysian businessman behind the widely loved Mamee Monster snack, died on Saturday (Nov 5) at the age of 96.

Pang Chin Hin (left, standing), the Malaysian businessman behind the widely loved Mamee Monster snack (right), died on Nov 5, 2022 at the age of 96.

Pang Chin Hin (left, standing), the Malaysian businessman behind the widely loved Mamee Monster snack (right), died on Nov 5, 2022 at the age of 96.

Follow TODAY on WhatsApp
  • Pang Chin Hin, founder of Mamee-Double Deckers Sdn Bhd, created the famous Mamee snack, Mister Potato chips, Double Decker shrimp crackers, Corntoz corn snacks and other food products
  • After the news of his death, thousands of tributes poured in from online users 
  • Many shared fond memories of sharing Mamee with friends back in school, while others remembered buying the snack packets in bulk to collect Transformers and Yu-Gi-Oh merchandise

SINGAPORE — Pang Chin Hin, the Malaysian businessman behind the widely loved Mamee Monster snack, died on Saturday (Nov 5) at the age of 96.

The founder of Mamee-Double Deckers Sdn Bhd, Pang also created Mister Potato chips, Double Decker shrimp crackers, Corntoz corn snacks, Mamee Chef instant noodles and many more food products.

Mamee has grown into an internationally recognised food-and-drink empire with more than 50 products and 10 brands that are exported to more than 100 countries, its website stated.

The popular crunchy noodle snack was launched in 1974 by the Malacca-based firm, but was facing challenges as it was the fourth such snack to enter the Malaysian market.

Then, in a moment of inspiration that would turn the company's fortunes around, Pang's son Tan Sri Pang Tee Chew noticed rubber tappers eating uncooked instant noodles straight from the pack, the Mamee website stated.

The son told the South China Morning Post: “I came up with the noodle snack idea."

"My father is a very savvy person, so he worked out a way to season the noodles, while I marketed the finished product, aiming it at kids. The Mamee name and the blue monster mascot were chosen because they are easy to remember.”

Following the news of Pang's death, the official Mamee Monster account posted an illustration of Pang and the famous blue monster.

"Thank you, dad," the blue-and-yellow Mamee font read in Malay. "Your legacy will live on."

Thousands of tributes have poured in from online users mourning the death of the "legend".

One Malaysian Twitter user wrote: "You've made a small yet significant part of my childhood. Thank you, sir. RIP."

Many people shared fond memories of sharing the snack with their friends back in school, especially those born in the 1980s and 1990s.

One Facebook user reminisced: "I remember enjoying the Mamee snacks after school, with friends.

"We even bought them in a bunch, cracked them and poured all the flavouring into the bowl while watching our evening cartoons. Thank you for the memories."

Some people related stories of "smuggling" Mamee snacks home to try to avoid detection by strict parents, or making unconventional choices regarding the seasoning packet.

One Facebook user joked: "I remember kena rotan (getting caned) because I poured the serbuk (powder) directly into my mouth."

Others remembered buying Mamee snack packets in bulk to collect Transformers and Yu-Gi-Oh merchandise: "Thanks for the memories of me buying Mamee (to) collect (the) Yu-Gi-Oh puzzle."

Transformer collectibles available only in Mamee Monster snack packets.

Pierre Pang, one of Pang's grandsons and the current Mamee-Double Decker group executive director, also took to Instagram to express his sorrow, posting a carousel of old photos of the snack visionary.

Pang leaves behind three sons and three daughters with his late wife.

Related topics

Mamee death Trending Pang Chin Hin

Read more of the latest in

Advertisement

Advertisement

Stay in the know. Anytime. Anywhere.

Subscribe to get daily news updates, insights and must reads delivered straight to your inbox.

By clicking subscribe, I agree for my personal data to be used to send me TODAY newsletters, promotional offers and for research and analysis.