Lee Biscuits, maker of Marie biscuits, to end production, shutter factory by end-October

Lee Biscuits, the 92-year-old company behind snacks such as Marie biscuits, is shutting down its long-running factory in Pontian, Johor, by the end of October, according to Malaysian media reports.Malaysian Chinese daily China Press reported that no plans for future production have been announced for the brand, which is also known as Nam Lee.Among the brand’s core products are classic soda crackers, Marie biscuits, banana tarts, lemon sandwich biscuits, iced gem biscuits, animal crackers, and spirulina whole wheat biscuits. The company’s products are available here in supermarkets and online retailers, The Straits Times’ checks show.The factory is reportedly in the process of laying off employees, and suppliers and customers have received notices about the production halt since September, according to China Press.Tan Eng Meng, assemblyman for Pekan Nanas in Pontian, confirmed to China Press that he received news of the factory’s impending closure.The move is part of the company’s broader business restructuring.According to the New Straits Times, Lee Biscuits is exiting snack manufacturing to consolidate its assets and focus on core holdings, including rubber and palm oil operations.This follows the closure of its Lee Pineapple cannery in Skudai in November 2023, as the company shifted focus towards oil palm cultivation.Checks by The Straits Times show that the company’s website is unavailable.Founded in Singapore in 1934 by prominent philanthropist Lee Kong Chian, the brand operated from its Singapore base for 21 years before relocating to Malaysia in 1955 to tap into the country’s agricultural supply chains and industrial space, according to The Rakyat Post.Production moved to Tampoi, Johor Bahru, and then to Pontian in 2005.