Hai Peng coffee shop marks 86 years of community spirit

Photo: Bernama

For 86 years, Kedai Kopi Hai Peng has been a familiar place for Chukai residents to meet over Hainanese coffee, kaya toast and breakfast — a tradition that now carries special resonance during Merdeka season.

Founded in 1940 by Hainan-born Wong Sang Hai, the coffee shop has served generations of customers from different backgrounds. Its name means “seaside” in Chinese, reflecting Chukai’s identity as a coastal town in Terengganu.

A family business that endured

Richard Wong, 38, has run the business since taking over from his aunt in 2014. The wooden original was rebuilt more than three decades ago, but its location and character remain familiar to regulars.

Hainanese coffee is still its signature, alongside kaya toast, half-boiled eggs, nasi lemak and traditional kuih. The shop employs 14 people, all Malay.

Shared tables, shared memories

For longtime customers, the appeal extends beyond the menu. Mohamed Rahim Hussin has been visiting since 1979 and says people of different races still sit together, eat and talk in the relaxed atmosphere.

Peter Lau remembers being brought there by his father as a child. Kuantan resident A Thevanthiran still brings his own family for breakfast, despite the distance, because of the welcome they receive.

As Malaysia marks National Month, Hai Peng remains a small but enduring example of daily community life: familiar to old customers, welcoming to newcomers and built on the simple habit of sharing a table.

29 August 2026