Panchor

Panchor (est. pop.: 5,000) is a small town in Johor, Malaysia located in the Muar district next to the Muar River. Panchor was formerly a bustling river port where agricultural and plantation produce, (e.g. rice, palm oil, rubber latex) from the interior are loaded downriver on barges. However, as the road networks began to improve in the 1970's, which culminated with the construction of the North-South Expressway in the 1980's, Panchor declined in importance as barge river traffic decreased sharply. However, the opening of industrial parks in the vicinity brought a small revival in the town's population and its economy. In late 2006 and early 2007, Panchor was affected by the worst floods in Johor in over 100 years.