Panchor

Panchor is a small town in Muar District in the state of Johor, Malaysia, with an estimated population of about 5,000, standing next to the Muar River. It was once a bustling river port where agricultural and plantation produce from the interior, such as rice, palm oil and rubber latex, was loaded onto barges and sent downriver. As road networks improved in the 1970s and the North-South Expressway was built in the 1980s, barge traffic fell sharply and the town lost importance. Industrial parks opened nearby later brought a small revival to its population and economy. Panchor was hit by the worst floods in Johor in over a century in late 2006 and early 2007, and today it is also known for freshwater prawn fishing, called mengail udang.