Consul-General Attends the Grand Opening of the Public Gold Refinery
2026/9/15
On September 15th, Mr. Shinya Machida, Consul-General of Japan in Penang, attended the grand opening ceremony of the Public Gold refinery in Batu Kawan, Penang. The ceremony was attended by Mr. Chow Kon Yeow, Chief Minister of Penang, Mr. Steven Sim, Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives, as well as representatives from the government, business community, and diplomatic and consular corps.
Public Gold, founded in Penang in 2008, is a Malaysian company engaged in the gold and precious metals business, including gold bullion, gold coins and jewellery. The newly opened refinery aims to bring part of the gold refining process, which had previously been carried out overseas, into Malaysia. Following the ceremony, Mr. Machida toured the refinery and received explanations on the processes of gold assaying, refining and casting.
At the ceremony, the Chief Minister described the opening of the refinery as an important milestone for the precious metals industry in Penang and Malaysia, and expressed his expectation that it would add a new high-value-added sector to Penang’s existing strengths in manufacturing, technology and international trade. Mr. Sim, referring to Penang’s approximately 200-year history in the gold and jewellery industry, spoke about the potential for Penang to develop into a regional gold trading hub by combining refining, manufacturing, trading and storage as Penang moves from “Made in Penang” to “Made by Penang.”
Japanese companies are also active in Penang in the fields of precious metals recovery and recycling. The Consulate-General of Japan in Penang will continue to follow these new developments in the local industry, including their relevance to Japanese businesses.
Public Gold, founded in Penang in 2008, is a Malaysian company engaged in the gold and precious metals business, including gold bullion, gold coins and jewellery. The newly opened refinery aims to bring part of the gold refining process, which had previously been carried out overseas, into Malaysia. Following the ceremony, Mr. Machida toured the refinery and received explanations on the processes of gold assaying, refining and casting.
At the ceremony, the Chief Minister described the opening of the refinery as an important milestone for the precious metals industry in Penang and Malaysia, and expressed his expectation that it would add a new high-value-added sector to Penang’s existing strengths in manufacturing, technology and international trade. Mr. Sim, referring to Penang’s approximately 200-year history in the gold and jewellery industry, spoke about the potential for Penang to develop into a regional gold trading hub by combining refining, manufacturing, trading and storage as Penang moves from “Made in Penang” to “Made by Penang.”
Japanese companies are also active in Penang in the fields of precious metals recovery and recycling. The Consulate-General of Japan in Penang will continue to follow these new developments in the local industry, including their relevance to Japanese businesses.
