After nine decades in business, Malaysia’s last surviving matchstick and matchbox factory is in danger of closing.

The Kelantan Matchstick Factory employed about 1,000 workers during its heyday, but its workforce has dwindled to 25 workers today. That’s because demand has plummeted through stiff competition from lighters – and, more recently, e-cigarettes and vaping – among other factors, its owner said.

“Demand for matchsticks is so low and the cost of imported wood from China has surged by nearly 30%. We will terminate the operations if we fail to sustain the operations,” Tan Chong San told BenarNews.

“We can no longer find a way to transform this matchstick factory,” he told BenarNews.

Chong bought the factory in 1995, the last of several owners since it was opened in 1933.

“Now, even the lighter business is declining due to the emergence of vaping. We are the only matchstick factory around, but the business is still challenging to sustain,” he said.

The Kelantan state government had proposed converting the factory into a tourist spot but Chong rejected the suggestion after considering its environment.