To this day, Mamee Monster Noodle Snack remains one of the most popular snacks in Malaysia. Additionally, the iconic snack is also very well-known in Singapore, Indonesia, and even Australia! Who knew?
Last year, many were saddened by the passing of founder Datuk Pang Chin Hin. The man has left behind a remarkable legacy and his Mamee Double-Decker business has made an impact in the Malaysian Food and Beverages (F&B) industry. Some may be familiar with the company’s history but for those who are unaware, let us take you on a journey of how Mamee Double-Decker came to be.
Datuk Pang Chin Hin did not had any prior experience in the F&B business when he first started his career as a second-hand vehicle trader. He was actually persuaded to join the instant noodle business by his friend and after much consideration, the two became partners. Because of this switch in career, Pang Chin Hin also prepared his son Tan Sri Pang Tee Chew for the business venture by sending him to further his studies in Japan and also work in one of the leading instant noodle factories there.
Chin Hin and his partner established their first factory together in Melaka called Pacific Food Products in 1971. The two business owners began producing their first-ever noodle brand called Lucky Noodles but the instant noodle unfortunately did not live up to its name as it wasn’t selling well enough compared to its competitors like Maggi. This turn of events resulted in the company losing its investors and banks.
However, the setback did not stop Chin Hin from pushing forward and they managed to convince a Malaysian industrial bank to invest in his business. Then during a trip to a rural village, the future founder of Mamee Double-Decker saw that the rubber tappers were eating the raw instant noodles right from the pack as they didn’t have access to the equipment to heat up the noodles. This gave him the inspiration for his new product.
Instead of instant noodles meal, Chin Hin came up with the idea to turn their brand into an easy-to-eat snack, and thus the Mamee Monster noodle snack and Mamee Monster mascot were born! As for the name Mamee, it was said that the name derived from the word “Mummy” as it represents the loving bond of a child and their mother, which is why the product was marketed to kids rather than adults. The noodle snack was launched back in 1974 and it instantly became a hit among both children and adults!
It took only a few years for the tasty snack to become Malaysia’s bestselling instant noodle in the 1980s. With the success of Mamee Monster, the company then changed its name to Mamee Double-Decker in 1992 after the release of its other successful products, which are the Double-Decker Prawn crackers and Mister Potato. The food giant has since released 50 more products including the Mamee Chef instant noodles, Corntoz, and Tora!
In 2011, the brand’s product Mister Potato managed to form a partnership with the Manchester United Football Club. That was a huge deal! You’ve probably seen the football players’ faces on the packaging back when you purchased chips at convenience stores. The deal lasted until 2014 but it has definitely been imprinted in our memories. As for awards, Mamee managed to win multiple prestigious awards such as the Putra Brand Silver in 2022 and the Putra Aria Brand Awards Gold in 2023.
According to their official website, the Pang family took pride in producing “healthy” snacks and even showed factory visitors how the products are produced. Chin Hin’s grandson, Pierre Pang, who is now the group’s executive director, once said, “I definitely ate a lot of Mamee Monster snacks as a kid. My grandfather and father would never launch products that the kids in our family wouldn’t eat. We were the target market back then. That was how I came to understand that Mamee is a family business.”
Mamee Double-Decker celebrated its 52nd anniversary this year and continues to flourish. After all these years, many of Mamee Double-Decker’s products, especially Mamee Monster Noodle snacks still remain one of the top-selling and beloved foods in Malaysia today.
Sources: Mamee (1)(2), VulcanPost, YouTube, TechInAsia, OptionsTheEdge
