GAP statement now available on Public Gold website

If you've read my previous entry on GAP (Gold Accumulation Program), you must have understood how this program works. (Otherwise, you may contact any PG dealers or myself for further clarification)

To keep you up to date of your accumulated precious metal, Public Gold has made the GAP statement available online for GAP holders. The statement will show how much gold you have purchased and stored with PG, how much you have withdrawn and what is the available balance. Note that minimum balance in your account has to be 1gram to ensure you GAP account remains active.

GAP statement online. Login into publicgold.com.my, go to My Account > My GAP Statement

Here's another interesting on-going promo (October 2014) on GAP- make a standing instruction from your bank account- at least 5gram monthly for consecutive 12 months, and you will entitle to a FREE 1gram gold bar. Not a bad promo considering the bigger bars always cost lower per gram.

Have you opened your GAP account yet? Contact me if you wish to do so.

Norazharina Mat Amin

PG040197

013-2092404 (WhatsApp only, please :)

azharina.amin@gmail.com

Mind the GAP

There is a new product by Public Gold- Gold Accumulation Program (GAP) which more or less acts like a Gold Savings Account.

The idea is you put in cash in dominations of RM50s (starting minimum RM100) and an equivalent gram (up to 4 decimal points) of 999.9 gold will be allocated to you on a pool basis. Now there is an option of accumulating gold by 1 gram. This will be syariah compliant, inshaAllah, since the amount of physical gold involved is exact (not in any decimal points).

How to join GAP? You may check the daily GAP price from Public Gold website which is updated daily at midnight (unlike other gold bars/coins/dinars updated every 20mins). 

If you are OK with the price and have decided how many grams of gold you wanted, you can directly make the payment to Public Gold account (PUBLIC GOLD MARKETING SDN. BHD.- Maybank 5571 3923 8048 or Public Bank 3167 52 0833). Don't forget to put your name (or your PG code if you are an existing customer) as the reference and KEEP THE PAYMENT SLIP safely. 

Next you have to SMS or WhatsApp Public Gold at 017-4866 916 in a certain format as the booking order and to inform them you have already paid. Below is the example of the format I used in WhatsApp. Note the date and time of payment has to follow the exact date and time in the payment slips (shown by the arrows). Get your dealer (or me, if you haven't got one ;) to do this to save you the hassle. 

Please email the payment slip to payment@publicgold.com.my if you can't share with them via WhatsApp or MMS. You will then receive an email from Public Gold with your Sales Order or GAP statement.

You may withdraw the accumulated gold from any Public Gold branch at your convenience (just make sure to call the branch few days before so they know you are coming and they can keep the stocks for you). Show your IC and pay the premium (starting from RM 5 for a 1g. bar, RM 10 for a 10g. bar and so on). 

It can be as small as 1gram bar or up to 1000g bar according to how much you have in your GAP account. The bigger bar, the better, since the price spread (difference between Buy and Sell price) will be lower. Read more on that here. 

This is the 1g Public Gold bar with LBMA (London Bullion Market Assoc.) status. The spread is 8% provided the seal is intact and in good condition. Premium charge is RM 5 (made in Turkey)

Make sure you have a minimum balance of 1g in your GAP account to keep it active. Otherwise, you will be charged RM50 for re-activation fee.

The advantage of accumulating your gold with GAP is you can buy gold in smaller amount (unlike before, smallest 999.9 bar is 10g or smallest 916 dinar is 4.25g). Another plus point is, Public Gold will 'store' your accumulated gold at no charge. This will save you the hassle of renting your own safe deposit box and the worry of keeping the gold yourselves.

Another option to acquire gold on a low budget is to use Easy Payment Plan (EPP) whereby you can pay installments within 4 months with 0.5% admin fee on the first month. Let's say you book 1 dinar for RM600, your monthly budget will be around RM150 only. By the end of the 4th month, you can collect and keep the 1 dinar coin (916 gold) by yourself.

Any inquiries, you're welcomed to contact me at my details below.

Norazharina Mat Amin

PG040197

013-2092404

azharina.amin@gmail.com
Last updated: 16th Apr 2016

Why invest in Gold?

Gold is a particularly popular investment in times of uncertainty. Many people have asked us questions along the lines of “why invest in gold”. So we went around and interviewed a number of seasoned gold investors, and here’s what they have to say:

Gold is great for diversification

Gold has historically performed quite differently to other financial instruments, and they typically don’t react to the same market conditions that affect stocks, bonds and property. As such, having a small investment in gold can improve the overall diversification of your portfolio.

Gold has relatively good liquidity

Unlike many investments, gold is being traded continuously around the world. What this means is you can easily buy or sell gold investments at any time. This is particularly useful if you find yourself in a position where you need cash. Contrast this with investing in a property – that can take months to sell. 

Gold as a hedge against inflation

Gold is more than just another investment. Investors sometimes refer to gold as a form of currency. However, unlike the typical currency, which governments can choose to print more, the value of gold is independent of any government laws. Because the supply of gold can only increase slowly, gold prices tend to not fluctuate much over decades.

Gold protects against uncertainty

Looking at past performance, gold is one asset class that has performed well during times of uncertainty. For example, during the 2008-2009 financial crisis, gold prices spiked when the stock market crashed, as investors panicked, sold their stocks and bought gold. This occurrence was also seen in the dot-com crash (2000), and several other bear markets in the past.

Source: imoney.com.my

Keen to get your own physical gold at the best rates compared to normal retailers? See here to know how. Drop me a line or two below for further inquiries and assistance.

Norazharina Mat Amin  

PG040197 013-2092404

azharina.amin@gmail.com

Opening Remarks- The Seriousness of Gold Dinar

This post should have come earlier before all the 3 parts of the speech. If you've read all the 3 posts (you deserve a pat on the back for this, bravo!), they all point back to these earlier matters. I plead you to read this till the very end, a remarkably powerful message from our very own leader.

THE GOLD DINAR IN MULTI-LATERAL TRADE SEMINAR by Tun (then Dato' Seri) Dr Mahathir Mohamad

1. I would like to thank the organizers for inviting me to speak at this seminar on the Gold Dinar in Multi-Lateral Trade. I hope I can help to make clear the idea and the concept of the Gold Dinar.

2. For some time now the Muslims and their countries have become synonymous with backwardness, authoritarian and frequently unstable Governments and lately with terrorists and terrorism. Yet Islamic states were not like that before, nor were Muslims involved in acts of terror. In fact Muslim countries were where the persecuted of Europe, in particular the Jews, sought refuge. The pogroms and the inquisition in Europe forced the Jews to migrate to the Muslim countries in North Africa. Yet before that when Muslims ruled Spain, the Jews, the Christians and the Muslims were able to live together in peace.

 

3. If today there is so much animosity between Jews and Muslims it is not because of religious differences. The fact is that the Europeans who in the past never liked the Jews and massacred them every now and then, wanted to get rid of the Jews. Together with the Zionists they took Arab land in Palestine and gave it to the Jews for the setting up of the state of Israel. In the process the Palestinian Arabs were expelled from their homes and their land and ever since these people have been living in makeshift refugee camps in Lebanon and Jordan.

4. When the Arabs attacked Israel in a conventional war, they were not only defeated but more of their land was seized by Israel. The Israelis were able to win because they were strongly supported by Europe and then America. Every time the Arabs fought to get back their land, they actually lost more land.

5. The conflict is therefore about land, not about religion as it is made out to be. If the Palestinians indulge in acts of terror today, if other Muslims indulge in acts of terror, it is because conventional war has become impossible for them. We do not condone acts of terror by anyone. Suicide bombing against civilians must be considered as acts of terror. So are the killings of Palestinian children and civilians by the Israeli armed forces -- all are acts of terror. And the Israeli army is no less a terrorist organization now as is Hamas, as was the previous Jewish Irgun Zvai Leumi, the Stern Gang and others, all are terrorist organizations.

6. The events of September 11 2001, have however focused the world's eyes on Muslim terrorists and this has lead to a very distorted view of Islam and the Muslims. This view has affected Muslims in all areas. They are being discriminated against everywhere.

7. This unfortunate repercussion of September 11 has resulted in the whole world's economy being unable to grow. And now, as a direct consequence we are being threatened by a war against Iraq, a Muslim country and a major oil producer. Without doubt this will make the economies of the world even less able to grow, especially those of Muslim states.

8. The West and in particular the Americans are very angry. So are the Muslims. Angry people cannot act rationally. But if we want to solve the problem we have to strive to be rational, to remain calm and not let emotions control us.

9. At the moment most Muslims are only bent on revenge. They are hitting back because of anger. They do not seem to care whether they achieve ultimate success or not. Every time they hit, the other side would hit back. And every time the other side hits back they would retaliate in kind.

10. The question is how long will we go on like this. The Palestinians have been fighting for the past 50 years. Their position has not improved. In fact it has become worse. In fact the position of the Muslims worldwide has become worse. And if what is happening now is any indication it would continue to be so for decades. The Muslims of this world, all 1.3 billion of them, will continue to be oppressed and humiliated.

11. There are of course some of us who believe that it is the fate of the Muslims to be oppressed in this world because in the akhirat we would be in heaven. If this is the fate of the Muslims, why did the Prophet strive to save the Muslims from the oppression of the Khuraish? Why did he and his followers migrate to Madinah; why did he unite the Ansars and the Muhajirin and gather them into a strong force in order to repel the enemy? Indeed the Al-Quran enjoins the Muslims to equip themselves for their defense, to educate themselves, to achieve success in life even as they must seek merit for the hereafter, so they may impress the Jahilliah and spread the teachings of Islam. In a matter of 100 years the Muslims had created a powerful Muslim world extending from Spain in the West to China in the East.

12. Did the Prophet preach to his followers that they should suffer in silence because for them there will be heaven in the next world? In fact he prepared them to defend Islam with their wealth and their lives, to defeat the enemy. He did not advocate just seeking revenge upon the enemy in anger through attacks and killings.

13. It is clear that we Muslims are openly and blatantly ignoring the clear teachings of our religion in favour of quarrelling over contentious issues and interpretations while ignoring the oppression by the enemies of Islam, while failing to prepare for the defense and safety of the ummah and Islam.

14. One of the clearest teachings of Islam is that all Muslims are brothers and that no one should question the religion of anyone as long as he takes the oath that "there is no God but Allah and Muhammad is His Prophet." The split amongst the Muslims into hundreds of different sects is due to the denial of the Islam of rival groups in order to justify the fight against them.

15. All who submit to "Allah and His Prophet" must be considered as Muslims and must be brothers of each other. Race and nations and borders should not stand in the way of Muslim unity nor should ideologies and political parties. There is only one Islam that was brought by the Prophet. The breakup of the Muslims into sects and groups all occurred after the death of the Prophet. It follows that the differences in the interpretations of Islam, differences which lead to the many splits and the formation of splinter groups, which are opposed to each other, is due to different interpretations of the teachings of Islam. But we all subscribe to the basics and it is a basic creed of Islam that all Muslims are brothers. If we can forget our differences in the interpretations of Islam, if we go back to the basics which we all accept then it is possible for us to unite. Certainly now, when the Muslim ummah everywhere is threatened and oppressed, when our holy places are being desecrated, when we are so weak and poor, particularly poor in knowledge and skills in this age of technology, certainly now we must forget our differences and unite.

Image credit: thevoiceofummah.blogspot

16. However, our unity should not be for the purpose of futile attacks on the enemy. We should unite in order to build up our capacity and our strength. Simply by being united and strong, we would be freed from oppression. It will take time but Allah has enjoined upon us to be patient.

17. "Innallah hamaassabirin". The Prophet was patient; He did not seek revenge for the humiliation and oppression he was subjected to. He retreated to a safer place in order to build up his strength. And he created sufficient wealth among his followers to support his struggle to return to Makkah.

18. We have to do the same. The Muhajirin and the Ansars among us must unite, must build up our capacities in terms of wealth and technology, in terms of stable Islamic communities, in terms of following all the undisputed injunctions of Islam.

19. Pure materialism is abhorred by Islam but there is no injunction against the legitimate acquisition of wealth. Tithe must be paid on our wealth but we are also enjoined to be charitable. We know that the third Caliph, Saidina Othman, was wealthy. During the campaigns by the Prophet he donated camels and other supplies for the defense of the Muslims.

20. If the Muslims are going to protect themselves they must have sufficient wealth. Allah has endowed Muslim countries with inexhaustible wealth. These need to be administered for the good of the ummah. (this point is the beginning of Part 1)

To my brothers and sisters, let's ponder upon whats been delivered by this great leader of ours and act on it. Simply by being UNITED and STRONG, we would be freed from oppression. To be united we have to leave the differences, be it in politics, ideologies, skin colour, status all behind us. To be strong, we have to master and apply the knowledge in technologies, economics, financial systems etc. Above all, we should strive to beautify our akhlaq and do good deeds while calling others with patience towards true way of life- Islam.

Norazharina Mat Amin

PG040197

0132092404

azharina.amin@gmail.com

The seriousness of Gold Dinar- Part 3

This post (final part) continues from Part 2

41. In different countries the price of gold will differ in terms of the currency of that country. That is a function of the currency of the country. The value of one gold dinar is one gold dinar no matter what the exchange rate of a currency is against the gold dinar. If the value of goods or services is expressed in gold dinar, the value remains the same no matter which country is involved in the trade.

42. Thus an exporter can declare the agreed price in dinar to the importer in another country and to the Central Bank in his country. Depending on the agreement reached the Central Bank will pay the exporter the current local currency equivalent to the gold dinar price. At the importer's end, he would pay to his country's Central Bank the local currency equivalent of the agreed price in dinar. At the end of the week or month the Central Banks will total up the value in dinar of the exports and imports between the two trading countries. If they are not balanced then the country with a surplus will have a credit account against the country with a deficit. The difference can be paid in dinar or in goods or the country with the surplus can hold the dinar for future purchase from the country in deficit.

43. In multi-lateral trade, the process may be a little more complicated but it is entirely, manageable. A clearing house can be set up for a group of trading countries and the deficit and surpluses balanced. The process is not unlike the clearing of the cheques of numerous banks at a central clearing house.

44. Provided there are goods or services to be supplied by all participating countries, the amount of gold dinars that needs to be kept as reserve backing and for payment in the last resort is very small. Ideally there would be no need to transport and pay in dinars. The imports and exports in most instances would cancel themselves. The profits come from disposing of the goods or services domestically when the local currency would be used.

45. There will be problems of course. But there are problems now. Countries with no "hard currency" i.e. U.S. dollars cannot pay for their imports anyway. In addition the U.S. currency is not as stable as gold. Not only can it appreciate or depreciate widely but a country's currency can be made to depreciate so much against the U.S. Dollar that its imports cannot be paid for, priced as they are in U.S. Dollar. The gold dinar cannot depreciate much against the U.S. Dollar.

46. Gold price can also be manipulated but not as easily as U.S. Dollar or other currency. No one can sell gold at below market price because he just will not be able to deliver when called upon to do so. Short-selling will be very difficult if not impossible.

47. However local currency prices of gold can still fluctuate if left to the market. It is up to the country concerned whether to control exchange rates or not. But speculation and manipulation will not be as easy as when local currency is valued against the U.S. Dollar.

48. It must again be stressed that the Gold Dinar is exclusively for international trade. It is not to be used as local currency. In a sense it is like the U.S. Dollar now. Some countries of course use the U.S. Dollar locally for paying hotel bills by foreigners. But the dinar is heavy and cumbersome to carry. So it cannot be used as freely as the U.S. Dollar locally. This again lends credibility to the dinar and the local currency, which has to be used for local payment.

49. We should not be too ambitious as to launch the Gold Dinar for multi-lateral trade at one go. We should begin by pairing off the countries willing to use the Gold Dinar. A pair of good trading countries with a fairly well balanced trade should initiate the use of the Gold Dinar. Problems that arise can be resolved and the system improved. After the bugs have been got rid off then the trade using the dinar can be expanded gradually to involve more countries.

50. Traders in particular will be happy because their prices in Gold Dinar would not be affected by changes in the exchange rates of the importing countries or the exporting countries. In dinar, the prices will always remain the same.

51. It is not the intention to make the dinar a common currency for all countries. It is not really the Gold Standard with a fixed value against local currency. If countries print more local currency there would still be inflation within the country. But trade would be stable and enhanced. Speculators and manipulators will not be able to undermine international trade.

52. Of course the Gold Dinar can be a trading currency, for all countries, not necessarily Muslim countries. But Muslim countries are in the best position to demonstrate the viability of the system. They are in a position to manage their economies rationally and in the process show the world that they are capable of growing with stability and in peace. And this will do more towards countering oppressions by their enemies than the futile violent retaliations.

-End of speech-

This is part of Mr Sinclair's conclusion as featured in gold-eagle.com regarding the speech: 

Dear Friends of the Gold Community new and old, this is a very young gold market with a long way to go. It is only in the crawling stage and has done magnificently so far. Soon it will stand up, become strong and be recognized. This time Atlas will not shrug but rather Gold as an economic Atlas will be used to bolster and restore confidence in the US dollar through a revitalized Gold cover Clause. When the next bull market in equities begins it will be gold that will stand as the foundation to that event and not more paper foolishness from any central bank or international derivative traders. The really millennium begins when gold revitalizes world economies not through convertibility but rather through the gold's real role in the monetary system.

Gold is a control item that disciplines the creation of monetary aggregates. That is what the Gold cover clause does and that is why Nixon sterilized it. Mark my words. It is coming and it brings good times, not the four horsemen now looked for as the specters coming over the hill. The ascendancy of gold will be hard fought but will be finally embraced as now popular central bank tools of interest rate manipulation and monetary aggregate expansion are destined by their own definition to fall flat on their political faces. It is amazing that out of Islam comes what will save the Western World's economic system...

James Sinclair, Chairman and CEO of Tanzanian Royalty Exploration and founder of Jim Sinclair’s MineSet, which hosts his gold commentary as a free service to the gold investment community.

Norazharina Mat Amin

PG040197

013-2092404

azharina.amin@gmail.com

The seriousness of Gold Dinar- Part 2

This post continues from Part 1

32. But gold is bulky. We cannot be carrying gold all over the world in order to pay for goods we want to import. But we need not do that.

33. It is not intended to use the gold dinar as currency for everyday transactions in the domestic market. For this we can use national currencies. If there is inflation then the currency can buy less gold and other goods. And vice versa. So there is no necessity to carry bags of gold coins for transaction within the countries.

34. But even for international trade the transport of gold bullions or gold coins would be very minimal. Through bilateral payments arrangements the imports can be balanced by the exports and the differences settled in gold dinars. The Central Bank can provide a guarantee for the gold required for the payments of the balance. In the following weeks or months the deficits may be reduced or a surplus achieved. In that case the payments of the balance can be made through accounting arrangements between the Central Banks. It is only occasionally that a necessity might arise for the actual gold dinar to be used to pay for the purchase of imports.

35. We cannot really verify the amount of money a country has. A country's own currency cannot be regarded as its reserve. But gold dinars or gold bullion or gold ingots can serve as a country's reserve. Still in the end we have to trust each other. If we are good Muslims then the cases of fraud by Central Banks would be minimal.

36. Assuming that Malaysia exports to a Dinar Area country a hundred million Dinars worth of motor vehicles and then imports 110 million dinars worth of oil, then the payment required by Malaysia would be just 10 million dinars. The ten million dinars is credited to Malaysia's trading partner. If in the following month the trading partner buys 110 million dinars worth of Malaysian cars and Malaysia buys 100 million dinars worth of oil, then no payment need to be made by either party. The 10 million dinars that has to be paid by Malaysia's trading partner for the motor vehicle can be offset by the credit of 10 million dinars from the previous month's transactions.

37. Today with computers we can close account and pay more frequently. Through this method it is not necessary to purchase or earn hard currency.

38. Of course there may be some countries which are so poor that they cannot have gold dinars. We can buy some raw materials to be paid in gold dinars. They can be helped to build up the reserves of gold dinars.

39. There will be problems. But if we begin with just a pair of countries we would be able to minimize problems and demonstrate whether it works or not. We will be able to identify the weaknesses and the faults and correct them.

40. Gold is a precious metal. There has never been a time when there was no demand for gold. It is also not so plentiful that its price will fall the way paper currency or even other precious metals can fall. Yet it is not so limited in quantity that anyone or any trader can corner it and manipulate the price.

These points resonate well with Public Gold taglines i.e.

To save your family, buy gold.

To help our nation, keep gold.

To follow your religion, use gold.

If we buy gold (convert cash into gold), then we save our money from being spent unnecessarily. Our wealth is protected from inflation thus helping our family and future generation with the inevitable rising cost of everything.

When we as individuals buy and demand for gold, there has to be supply of gold from within or outside the country. When our gold reserve is increased, the impact of economics instabilities will be less compared to the impact towards currency.

As we know, gold dinar has been used since the time of Rasulullah SAW and economics activities were prosperous back then even with the non-Muslim regions. That has enabled Islam to spread its power in the Europe and Asia. It is not impossible that with Islamic economies and dinar, the world financial system will be much better than it is now.

The next post will be the final part of the speech. Stay tuned.

Norazharina Mat Amin
PG040197
013-2092404
azharina.amin@gmail.com

The seriousness of Gold Dinar- Part 1

This is a very powerful speech delivered by our beloved Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, ex-PM of Malaysia. Alhough it was delivered in Oct 23, 2002 during The Gold Dinar in Multi-lateral Trade Seminar held in Kuala Lumpur, which marked the turning point in monetary history, every word uttered is true to this very day. Who can deny the intrinsic and ever-lasting value of gold?

Image credit: web.usm.my

This is the comment from James Sinclair, Chairman and CEO of Tanzanian Royalty Exploration (formerly known as Tan Range Gold) as featured in gold-eagle.com on Nov 20, 2002:

There is an Islamic currency coming. That is a fact. There is a high chance that this is it. The Dinar is a tactic nuclear monetary weapon of self-protection in the Islamic perspective. It is a statement by them of Islamic Self Consciousness and Islamic Self Esteem. It is an Islamic rally point for all 1.2 billion of that persuasion. It is coming soon and it is real. It may not be viewed objectively by the West, in the environment of a weak dollar now existing. That weak dollar situation looks to me as if it will get significantly worse before it gets significantly better. This is not low amplitude noise. This is a NOISE that may scream soon the unthinkable word, Remonetization. Here are the words of its architect. Pay close attention to the final point in the words of this Minister of finances own words. They need to be understood completely in order to understand what is coming. 

(Point #1-19 was omitted by Mr Sinclair since it dealt with the conflicts of religions- or lands, as Tun put it- and has to be read with an 'open-mind'. But I will be happy to share it with you in a later post because it's too good not to be shared).

The Honorable Dr. Mahathir Bin Mohammed
THE GOLD DINAR IN MULTI-LATERAL TRADE SEMINAR

20. If the Muslims are going to protect themselves they must have sufficient wealth. Allah has endowed Muslim countries with inexhaustible wealth. These need to be administered for the good of the ummah.

21. But wealth can also be acquired through commercial activities, through the production and distribution of goods and services and through trade.

22. Today trade between Muslim countries is small. It is not suggested that we reduce our trade with the non-Muslims. But we should endeavour to increase the trade between Muslim countries.

23. We can trade through the exchange of goods, through barter. But today we use money. Since we don't have a currency which is strong enough and stable enough in exchange rate terms, we have to use the American dollar. But the dollar is also not stable. Today the dollar has depreciated against many other currencies. This means that despite the increase in the price of oil for example, we are actually earning less due to the devaluation of the dollar. It is the same with the other currencies. It is the same with our own currencies. They all fluctuate in value. And they are all subject to speculation and manipulation as happened in Malaysia and other East Asian countries, in Russia and in Latin America.

24. The reason for this is that paper currency has no intrinsic value. You can print any figure you like on currency notes but in exchange rate terms the figure means nothing. The Malaysian Ringgit is 3.8 to one U.S. Dollar. The Turkish Lira is 1.5 million to one U.S. Dollar. The Indonesian Rupiah is 9000 to one U.S. Dollar. The purchasing power within the country is different from the purchasing power outside the country. Sometimes countries have as many as four exchange rates -- one official, one for domestic economy, one for export and one for import.

25. Clearly this situation in terms of international finance is chaotic and anarchic. But since the system benefits the powerful countries they are unwilling to correct it.

26. If we want to avoid being short-changed we must have a currency that has intrinsic value. Gold does fluctuate in price but the fluctuation is minimal. It is not possible to devalue gold by one hundred percent or one thousand percent. Nor is it possible to revalue gold by the same percentage. The fluctuation in the value of gold can only be by a few percentages, up or down.

27. When the Allied nations met in Bretton Woods to determine the principle for the rate of exchange of international currencies in order to facilitate trade, they decided to use gold as a standard. The value of the U.S. Dollar was fixed at one dollar for 1/35 ounce of gold or 35 U.S. Dollars per ounce. All other currencies were valued in gold through the rates of exchange with the U.S. Dollar.

[As of 4th Apr 2014, gold is valued at USD 1286/oz- USD 1302/oz by the end of the day- see how much the devaluation of USD is in such a short period of time]

28. This worked quite well until some countries wanted to devalue their currencies in order to become competitive in the international market. Then other countries also decided to devalue in order to remain competitive. Finally the U.S. Dollar was devalued against the Gold.

29. At this stage the gold standard could not be sustained. The market claimed that it could determine the exchange rate through the demand and supply of currencies freely traded in the market. But profiteers moved in and they manipulated the value of the currencies so that there was chaos in terms of exchange rates of currencies. Business became very difficult. Indeed many good businesses went bankrupt when the domestic currency gets devalued. The hedge Funds which claim to insure the value of the currencies made huge sums of money speculating and manipulating the values of the currencies.

30. This anarchy in the international financial regime will remain because it benefits the rich and the powerful. If we want to protect ourselves we must evolve our own payment system, our own trading currency.

31. The Gold dinar can provide the currency for trade between nations. If we value all trade items against gold, then we will have no problem with the exchange rate. We know that in the last resort we can melt the gold and sell it in the market. You obviously cannot do that with paper currency, worst still with figures on a computer. They have no intrinsic market value as gold has.

The next pointers will be shared in later posts, so stay tuned!

Norazharina Mat Amin

PG040197

013-2092404

azharina.amin@gmail.com

What is AGSS

AGSS is the short form of Allocated Gold Storage Service. It's when you purchase your gold together with the storage service, so you do not need to be physically present to collect and store the gold yourself.

Public Gold Marketing together with its sister company, Public Safe Management provide the product and service. Here's the illustration.

You know the gold is reserved for YOU when you are given the item serial number and packet photos. The gold will not be used for any other reason whatsoever.

Your allocated gold will be stored in the security vault with full liability protection (visit publicsafe.com.my for more details of vault). You may request to withdraw/collect the item anytime. Or when the gold price appreciates, you may opt to sell it back to Public Gold and the best thing is you can do this from the comfort of your home, online.

Normal storage fee is 1% of the gold item price (2% for silver) annually, or minimum RM 50 per item, whichever is higher.

So, how to get this deal? Easy. If you're a new buyer, you need to register first via this link. Click 'Register' at the bottom of the Login page. Fill in your details (kindly ensure you get my details on the Introducer part, so I could help on the follow-ups. Should you encounter any problems or need further clarification, I will be able to assist too, inshaAllah). You will get an activation email after the registration, just follow the instruction given.

Now, you have to login (use your temporary username and password) so you can access the Place Order page (under Order). Tick the top box where it says 'Use the storage service for this order'.

**The screenshot might differ a bit with improvements done by PG**

Then, choose the item(s) you want to purchase by putting in the quantity required. Put in your details at the bottom of the page and click 'Update Cart' to see the Grand Total with the actual Storage Fee. When you are satisfied with everything, click 'Check Out'.

Next is the Agreement page, when you're done going through it, click 'I Accept' accordingly. You'll come to the final Order Placement page, which looks like this:

Click 'Request TAC' and a Transaction Authorization Code (TAC) will be sent to your mobile no. (should work for overseas no. too). Enter the TAC. Kindly note the remarks given at the bottom of the page where you have to courier your original payment slip to the stated address accordingly (unless you do Internet Transfer, I'll come to this shortly). Now click 'Confirm Order' and you've completed your booking!

You'll come to the Order Placed page which details out your order and an auto-generated Booking Order will be sent to your email. You can wait for the Sales Order email (with attachment doc. no. PM******) that will come from the Public Gold personnel itself during working hours.

For the payment, there are various ways to do this and it is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT for you to quote the CSO***** or PM***** no. Doing Internet Transfer would be the easiest since you do not need to courier the payment slip hardcopy. Instead, just copy/Print Screen the confirmation page and e-mail it to payment@publicgold.com.my, cc to the personnel who sent the Sales Order. You will receive an acknowledgement e-mail after that.

You can read more about the payment method in my first post (#3- Make payment). If your payment is successful, you will get to see your Invoice and Receipt under My Account> My Vault. Within 1-2 weeks, you will receive the item serial no. and the images like the one above.

and that's it! 

Any inquiries, you're welcomed to contact me at my details below. ACT NOW! :)

Norazharina Mat Amin

PG040197

013-2092404

azharina.amin@gmail.com

Updated on 24th April 2016

What about gold price

This may seem like a heavy topic to digest (trust me, it's not!), but it is important to master the basics to ensure you get the best deal.

Daily and Spot Price

Gold is traded internationally at an agreed price based on demand and supply. The daily gold price is fixed twice a day in the London exchange at 10.30am (London AM) and 3.00pm (London PM), while also being fixed at the end of the trading day on the New York exchange. This price is usually benchmarked by normal gold retailers.

The spot price refers to the current trading price which moves every minute. This price, together with the USD/RM exchange rate determines the price movement of Public Gold products every 20 minutes as featured on its website.

These prices are available on kitco.com where you could chart your desired historical data of other precious metals too. The quotes are in USD/oz (troy ounce) whereby 1 troy ounce equals 31.104g.

Cost Premiums

All gold bars and coins are sold at a premium over their spot of fixed daily price (at normal retailers). Generally, the premium is the production cost (refining/minting/packaging) to turn the raw gold into sellable items. It is normally set as an amount over the price per gram or troy ounce, which decreases the larger the coin/bar is. Other premium charges might include workmanship, transportation etc.

Buy and Sell price
Just like foreign exchange (FOREX), gold has different buy and sell price. This is called the margin spread. Premiums paid when purchasing gold are usually not taken into account when selling it back to a dealer.

Public Gold price
PG is very transparent in its pricing by displaying the price list on its website 24 hours a day, updated every 20 minutes. This is an advantage to the buyers should the price spikes up or down even for a short duration as opposed to whole-daily price at normal goldsmith outlets. Here is a snapshot.

PG Sell and Buy price of an item has a fixed spread margin as shown in table above on the right.
You can make your own calculation e.g. for a 100 gram Gold Bar, PG Sell price is RM 14,976 minus 5% spread @ x0.95 = RM 14,227.20 (rounded to RM 14,227 which is the PG Buy price). When the gold price appreciates to a percentage higher than the spread, then you are already making a profit because you can sell it back higher than the previous purchase price.

Starting 1st Dec 2014, PG has imposed new premiums (formerly known as Transport Charge) as follows. This is to accommodate the charges of new products with LBMA status manufactured in Turkey

*New spread rating will be announced soon

A good time to lock the price is when the gold price and the USD/RM exchange rate is low. But how low is low is subject to individuals. If you made a purchase before, you might already have a price benchmark. Otherwise, you might want to take a look at the historical data of gold price. 

How PG compares to other retailers
From my observation, many goldsmith shops charge higher premium. True examples
#1- Jan 14th: 10g. bar at WC was priced at RM 1600 when PG price was RM 1449 (10% higher)

#2- Feb 20th: 10g. bar at PK was priced at RM 1710 (buy back at RM 1500, spread of 13% for 'unused' gold, if 'used', minus 25% i.e. RM 1275). PG price was RM 1516 (buy back RM 1422). PK sells at almost 13% higher.
 *Most gold bars at the shops are sealed. To get 'unused' gold buy back rate, the item has to be from the same retailer, seal must be in perfect condition and must bring purchase receipt. Otherwise, it's considered as 'used' gold, automatically devalued at 25% from current market rate.

Datuk Louis Ng, the founder and chairman of Public Gold mentioned in an article featured in 'UNRESERVED' magazine (Jan 2014 issue) that PG's premium ranges only 5-8% above the international market. That being said, other jewellery shops put more than 15% margin which is huge money.

Ready to make the right choice? Read here for the step-by-step guide on price booking. Or contact me at my details below.

Norazharina Mat Amin

PG040197

013-2092404

azharina.amin@gmail.com

How I came about gold

When I was younger, I didnt care much about keeping gold bcos I only came across grown-up women who wear them as accesories. My mother used to ask us the daughters to wear the gold chains or bracelets especially when it was Hari Raya. I never really liked the idea but I wore them anyway and quickly took them off and returned them back to her once the Raya celebration was over.

I have to admit that I have many close kins who are in gold business, having own jewellery shops and they are very successful. Once I asked my cousin how did he do it. He told me that when selling jewellery especially those with stones, he could easily mark-up the price as long as it is agreed by the customer (since the gold price is already fixed). Ah, I see..

No, not mine.

When I was engaged and married, I had my own gold rings and a bangle as gifts from my husband. Then again, I didnt wear them bcos #1-afraid they will be scratched #2-I really dont want to be the target of snatch-thieves, so I just kept them in the drawer at home. But that didn't spare me from being a victim of house break-ins. All was taken including a pair of gold bangles belonged to my mother. I'm so sorry, Ummi. I will replace them with something better inshaAllah..

That incident somehow made me appreciate the precious metal more (though I was left with none!). I heard about gold price going up and down, I believe it is the best form of long-term saving/investment but I wasn't sure of the method. I know there are many gold retailers out there but I wasn't sure if I can get the best from them. Afraid that the price might be manipulated by the seller (with the workmanship charge etc).

Until my husband gave me an 'assignment', that is to find the best place to buy gold for our savings. I wasn't really looking very hard, but one day I came across an article regarding financial planning on FB. The article brought me to mohdzulkifli.com owned by En. Mohd Zulkifli Shafie (whom I regard as my mentor now, also happens to be my brother's high school friend- what a small world).

He has written many posts on gold, business, tips and advices on financial matters. He himself keeps gold as wealth protection. I basically read about all important things I need to know about gold from there, so I thank him bcos he has done the homework for me! First thing before you jump into buying gold is to have the KNOWLEDGE so you do what's best for you. Read here for why I go for physical gold and here for the reasons I chose Public Gold.

30th Dec 2013, I placed the first order (on behalf of my husband) and fortunately the price was almost at the lowest point of the year, Alhamdulillah. All done remotely- online, bcos we were not in Malaysia at that time. The purchase also qualified me as a Dealer. The main advantage of being a Dealer to me is I get monetary incentives with my own purchase.

When we went back, we collected the gold for the first time and yeah, it felt good :) I am sure we have made the right decision of protecting our wealth in physical gold. Since then, there was no turning back. I placed more orders as I wanted to grab the opportunity to the max. 

Time has proven that gold is the least risk investment in its own class of asset. I never felt any more confident in investment than this way. Although I am also a Unit Trust Consultant registered with FIMM, I find it hard even to convince myself in unit trusts bcos there is just too much risk. 

Now that I have taken that first step towards gold, I would like to create the awareness amongst others too (especially now when the price point is still good!). I'm beginning with this humble blog of mine dedicated to those who would like to venture into this 'golden journey' with me. Or just anyone who might benefit from my writings, inshaAllah.

Norazharina Mat Amin

PG040197

013-2092404

azharina.amin@gmail.com

Why I chose Public Gold

First and foremost, my credit goes to En. Mohd Zulkifli Shafie for 'introducing' me to Public Gold (PG) through his web page (mohdzulkifli.com). From there I read a lot about gold and how PG compares to other retailers/producers. Here are a few advantages:

1. Public Gold is a well-established company

-won many awards i.e. Malaysia Book of Records (first Malaysian company to produce certified gold/silver bullion bars locally), The Brand Laureate SME etc

-started in 2008 in Penang, and now having 18 branches nationwide 

-each product is certified by an independent qualified assayer
-obtained clearance by Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) in trading gold

2. Competitive rates

-low spread (difference between sell and buy back price) of 4.5% to 8% compared to outside retailers who normally impose 18-25%

-guarantee to buy back even scratched or bent (except in extreme economic conditions like war)

-lower premium because products don't have to go through middle man/retailers (beli harga kilang)

-transparency in price which is displayed and updated on its website every 20 minutes according to world gold price

3. Advanced online system

-provides online facility for booking so you can book anytime, 24 hours a day, anywhere u can get Internet access

-smartphone apps for iPhone, Android and Blackberry where you can set your target price and receive alerts when your target is met! Cool, huh?

These are all for now. If you do your homework about another seller better than PG, I would like to hear about it too ;)

Ready to get yours now? Click here to know how.

Norazharina Mat Amin

PG040197

013-2092404

azharina.amin@gmail.com

Gold 101

Here are some basic infos about gold

History
The use of earliest gold coin could be tracked back to 561-546 BC. This is a gold stater minted in Sardis, issued by Lydian King Croesus who introduced the bimetallic coinage system that has been used in the Western world until the 20th century.

The importance of this more than 2,500-year old coin lies in the fact that it enabled the first system of free and open markets. The result was the flourishing culture of the ancient Mediterranean world.

Dinar and Dirham
In the time of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW), the currency of the Arabs was the Dinar (gold coin) and Dirham (silver coin). The first dinars and dirhams minted by Muslims was during the Khalifate of Uthman bin Affaan, wherein the coins differed from the original ones in circulation by the Arabic inscription of “in the Name of Allaah” on the obverse margins. During the Khalifate of Umar ibn Al-Khattab, the coin standard was introduced so that the weight of 10 dirhams was equivalent to 7 dinars (1 mithqal).

Gold and silver coins remained official currency in its original precious metal form until the fall of the Ottoman Empire after World War I (1910s). Since then, dozens of different paper currencies were made in each of the new post-colonial national states. However, many Arab countries like the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Morocco, Qatar, Libya and Iraq still use the names (Dinar and Dirham) to refer to their non-precious metal currencies.

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, gold still played a key role in international monetary transactions since the gold standard was used to back currencies. Many world empires have fallen over time and with it, its currency, which is normally known as the world reserve currency. The most recent was the British Empire and the demise of the British pound as the world reserve currency until the end of World War II. Then the US Dollar took over as world reserve currency but on 15 August 1971, the United States terminated convertibility of the US Dollar to gold. This brought the Bretton Woods system to an end and saw the USD becomes fiat currency.

Fiat money has been defined variously as:
*any money declared by a government to be legal tender.
*state-issued money which is neither convertible by law to any other thing, nor fixed in value in terms of any objective standard.
*money without intrinsic value.
The term derives from the Latin fiat ("let it become", "let it be done", "it shall be").

Since gold is bought and sold in US Dollars, any decline in the value of the dollar causes the price of gold to rise.

Gold as an Investment
Gold is the most popular precious metal as an investment. It has often been called the 'crisis commodity' because it tends to outperform other investments during periods of world tensions. That is why gold is sold off during economic weakness.

The most traditional way is buying the gold bullion bars. These come in various sizes and shapes usually in the highest purity form i.e. 999.9 fine gold. The usual weight ranges from 10g to 1kg (there's even 400 troy ounces bar in Europe, that's 12 kg). Most popular ones in Malaysia are PAMP Suisse, Poh Kong Bunga Raya, Wah Chan, Tomei and Public Gold bars.

And then there are gold coins which are usually (but not always) lower purity than bars e.g. 916, 917 etc. When purchasing gold and silver coins, one must be aware of whether the coin is bullion (priced relative to metal quantity) or numismatic (priced at a high value [50% and more] over its metal quantity due to rarity). Do not purchase numismatic coins as they are geared towards coin collectors and are sometimes called medallions. Dinar and Dirham are gold and silver bullion coins, respectively.

The largest integration of the Dinar and Dirham into regular society in the world are in Indonesia, Malaysia and the surrounding areas. There are also small initiatives in Pakistan, United Kingdom, South Africa and the United States of America.

Our former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad’s push towards Dinar usage was seen as far back as 2000/2001 with the establishment of Malaysia’s legal tender bullion coin, the Kijang Emas. Then there was the establishment of e-dinar Ltd in 2000 and the ‘e-dinar’ online electronic payment system, as well as the establishment of the World Islamic Mint [WIM] in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the minting of the ‘Islamic Dinar’ or ‘Dinar Muslim’ (minted by Emirates Gold). The state Government of Kelantan began minting dinar/dirham (Kelantan Dinar) in 2006 and its new minted coin set (minted in the UAE) came out in August 2010, while the Perak state government began minting its coins (Perak Dinar) in February 2011. Malaysia has a large variety of editions of the dinar/dirham coins including the Public Dinar (Public Gold International Sdn Bhd), GCP Dinar (Goldcrest Pavilion Sdn Bhd), Dinar Darul Takzim, Nabawi Gold Dinar (24 Qirats), Dinarius & Dirham, Malaysia Dinar (Royal Mint of Malaysia), Dinar Kulim (Dinar Gold Enterprises), and Dinar Shari’i.

Islamic Dinar	Kelantan Dinar	Perak Dinar
Public Dinar	GCP Dinar	Nabawi Dinar

Gold in jewellery form i.e. gold chains, bracelets, pendants, rings etc. are still popular. However, since jewelleries are worn, the margin spread is high when selling it back to goldsmith retailers as 'used gold'. Read more about spread here. With current worrying statistics in crime rate, especially snatch-theft, I personally would not prefer to wear gold when going out. 

Storage Options
One of the first places people consider storing their precious metal is in a safe deposit box at a local bank, which is a good choice but not perfect as you have limited access to it during banking hours. There are also private companies offering this service with more flexible access hours and higher insurance value. You can get a list of some Safe Deposit Box services here. The second common place is home storage in a safe or hiding place, which is a good idea for small metal quantities but not perfect as houses can catch fire, broken into and/or affected by nature disasters. A third place for storage is to bury it on your property, ideally when no one is looking, in an airtight and waterproof container. A fourth option is storing it with Allocated Gold Storage Service (AGSS) provided by your gold seller, which is good if you are out-station buyers because the storage fee might be more cost-effective than the travelling expenses to collect the gold. Read more on AGSS here http://goldmate.blogspot.com/2014/03/what-is-agss.html?m=0

Whichever of these you choose to do, only tell one person you trust about where it is, whose job it is to access it if you are unable to. The options above all have their advantages and disadvantages, which is why it maybe best to use a combination of them to be safer.

References:

http://sunflower.ch/en/moneymuseum/money-yesterday/accross-the-times
http://www.islamicmint.com/islamicdinar/history.html
http://www.sunnahmoney.com/gold-dinar-silver-dirham/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bretton_Woods_system

Norazharina Mat Amin
PG040197
013-2092404
azharina.amin@gmail.com

(Updated 2nd April 2014)

How to make subsequent login/orders online

So, you placed your first order on Public Gold (by yourself, or through your dealer because you were in bed during that sweet spot price, or for whatever reason there is), CONGRATULATIONS! You are one step closer towards safeguarding your hard-earned cash from being robbed by the bank.

By now, you should have your own permanent Customer Account Code (PG*****, as opposed to the temporary code, TEMP**** given to you when you first registered online). You could find it on the top right-hand side part of the Sales Order.

 

Now, go back to the Login page. Your Account Code is your Username (PG******), but for the password- click on 'Forgot your Password?' for the system to reset it for you (you can choose the password later).

Insert your e-mail address that you used for your first order. Click 'Submit' and you will receive a  token in your email. Follow the instruction given to reset the password and choose your own. Once you are logged in, you can follow the rest of the steps given in my first post on how to place your order (you just skipped the Step #1-Register).

Don't worry if you haven't made your first order yet. You have 2 options- read here on how to OR you could just drop me your full name, IC no., mobile no., e-mail address and your location in Malaysia (together with that favourite gold item you dream of, or just how much is your budget if you have no idea on that) at my contact details below. All the best!

Norazharina Mat Amin

PG040197

013-2092404

azharina.amin@gmail.com

  

Why physical gold?

Here are my reasons why

Why physical gold?

1. For wealth protection- a hedge against inflation

Paper currency is losing its value against time while gold value keeps on increasing over decades and generations. Sebab tu mak-mak dan nenek-nenek kita dulu selalu beli dan simpan emas. Bila anak-anak dah besar, harga emas dah naik berganda, boleh pakai utk hantar anak ke uni/buat kenduri kahwin dsb.

There is a YouTube video about how paper currency can be manipulated, that it is the biggest scam in the history of mankind here (with Malay subtitle). The man featured in the video is Michael Maloney, author of best-seller 'Rich Dad's Advisors: Guide to Investing in Gold and Silver', founder of GoldSilver.com and WealthCycles.com.

In the end US Dollar would be just like the 'toilet paper'- Tun Dr. M.

Credit to Utusan Malaysia and mursyidi.com

2. Shariah compliant

This matter concerns the Muslims due to the fact that few banks offer Gold Savings Account (GSA). People deposit money into the account which value will change according to the current gold value, but there is no actual physical gold for the account holder, just numbers printed in the account book. However, there are 2 banks that offer Shariah Compliant GSA i.e. Kuwait Finance House and Al-Rajhi. They do have real gold ready for the account holder whenever they want to withdraw it.

Buying physical gold will not cause this issue since it's just like buying something from the shop. You pay the money, you get your stuff.

3. Hadith
There is a hadith (the saying of Muhammad Rasulullah SAW) narrated by Imam Ahmad Ibnu Hanbal:
"Akan tiba suatu zaman di mana tiada apa yang bernilai dan boleh digunakan oleh umat manusia. Maka simpanlah Dinar dan Dirham"
Translated as- There will be a time when nothing is valuable and can be used by Human race. Therefore, save Dinar and Dirham. Dinar is gold coin while dirham is silver coin. Wallahu a'lam.

If you haven't realised, gold price is low again since April 2013 to where it was 4 years ago. While it's still on sale, why don't you get yours here.

Norazharina Mat Amin
PG040197
013-2092404
azharina.amin@gmail.com

(Updated on 12th Feb 2014)

How to lock gold price online easily

(The title post was changed from 'how to buy gold online' to a new one as above since it could be misleading to some readers that the gold will be sent directly to you or it sounds like just another online scam)

I'm referring to Public Gold here- the local gold and silver bullion bars producer, winning numerous awards (e.g. Malaysia Book of Records, Golden Bull, The Brand Laureate etc.), approved by Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM); the largest gold and silver trader in Malaysia.

I will write more about the reasons to go for physical gold a bit later, but for now let me tell you how simple it is to buy CERTIFIED PHYSICAL GOLD in 4 basic steps for first-time buyer on PUBLIC GOLD, online (talk about gold rush!).
(if you are an existing buyer, you can log on using your PG code- get your password from 'Forgot Password' option. Just follow Step #2 onwards) 

1. Register
2. Place Order/Lock Price (and receive Booking Order & Sales Order)
3. Make Payment
4. Collect your Gold!

Ok, now the elaboration.
#1. Register - at www.publicgold.com.my
From the Home page, click on 'Login'

You'll come to this page

By clicking 'Register', you will see this screen. Fill in the fields, those with asterisk (*) are compulsory. If you follow the given link above, you should see my details in the Introducer part i.e. someone who introduces/leads/brings you to know about Public Gold. The Introducer should be a registered Public Gold dealer who can advise you on gold in general and about Public Gold in particular (yep, that's me).

If it's not there yet, I would appreciate it if you put my details in the Introducer part- Introducer Code: PG040197, Name: Norazharina Mat Amin, Mobile no.: 013-2092404. If there are times you are unsure of the procedures, not sure who to contact, what to do, should you buy or not and which item is the best etc. I will be able to consult you on any inquiries, inshaAllah.

When you're done filling up and click submit, you will receive an activation email with the activation link, temporary username and password. Click the link to activate your account.

Use your temporary username and password to login. Now, you're ready to place order.
#2. Place Order/Lock Price

You'll come to the page with Terms of Sale and by agreeing to that will bring you to the Order Placement page.

Put in the quantity required for your desired item(s). At the bottom, there is an option 'Order for..'- click on 'Myself' ('Third Party' and 'New Buyer' are for dealers' use). Fill in your particulars accordingly.

Next, you will see the 3 drop-down menus.

#2.1 Payment Option: Full Payment and Easy Payment Purchase (4 times payment over 4 months with 0.5% one-time charge over total amount)

#2.2 With (to which Public Gold bank account you prefer to pay to): Public Bank Berhad or Maybank Berhad

#2.3 Collect from: Select your nearest/preferred Public Gold branch from 17 outlets nationwide. For Relau and Bishop branches, both in Penang, the transportation fee is waived.

Put in remarks (if any), click 'Update Cart' and the Grand Total will show including the Transportation Fee (if applicable, usually for gold bars ranging from RM 10-80 West M'sia, RM 20-160 East M'sia). When you are satisfied with everything, click 'Check Out'.

The next page will preview your Booking Order (Sale), listing the item(s) you want to purchase, together with the Terms & Conditions (which will also be e-mailed to you). Should there be any changes you want to make, you can click 'Change Order'. Otherwise, it is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT to check that all information is correct before you click the 'Confirm Order' button.

When you click Confirm Order, CONGRATULATIONS! You just placed your order and locked your price (no matter if the price goes up the next day, you pay what you just locked). A Booking Order (BO) page will show up and an auto-generated email will be sent to you containing the PDF attachment of the Booking Order (Order Placed). You could make your payment now by following the instructions given (if you wish, or wait for Sales Order).

You will receive another email with the BO status changed to Order Confirm (which usually comes few hours after the first email, if it's a working day).

Shortly after, you will receive another email with the Sales Order (SO) in PDF attachment. This e-mail usually comes from your preferred branch. Note the Doc@SO no. and A/C Code as you will need to state these when making payment.

But if you do not receive the Sales Order in the next working day from the day you placed your order, you may follow up with Public Gold directly. The hotline number is +604-643 9999. Also, if there is any mistake in the Sales Order, please contact them for correction. 

#3. Make payment 

There are a few ways you can pay:

*Cash- limited to transaction of less than RM3000, pay at the Public Gold branch

*Deposit in Bank- no limit to amount, pay at Public Bank/Maybank counter (to prevent mishaps at ATM e.g. machine running out of receipts etc.)

*Internet Transfer (Online Banking)- subject to your banks' limit, usually RM 10,000 per day 

*Telegraphic Transfer- subject to your banks' limit

*Personal Cheque- amount <RM 25k needs 5 working days for clearance, 8 working days for >RM 25k

I would personally prefer Internet Transfer (Online Banking) but with transaction of more than RM 10,000, please notify Public Gold to let them know how many days you will need to bank-in all amount. 

Note that although it does mention in the email that full payment need to be made within 24 hours, but again, in cases where the transaction is a lot of amount and you need more than 24 hours, please notify them. Otherwise, your account could be suspended and you might be blacklisted from trading with Public Gold.

Please state the Booking/Sales Order number (CSO**** or PM****) AND Customer Account Code (TEMP*** or PG***) as reference.  

If making Internet Transfer, a confirmation page like above will appear. It is suffice to 'Print Screen' or copy the whole page (as softcopy to be e-mailed later) and print it as the original payment slip.

If you make payment using any other method e.g. over the bank counter/cheque, you will get the payment slip- snap a picture of it to make it in softcopy. You can scan it either if you prefer.

After payment, please e-mail the slip to payment@publicgold.com.my or fax it to +604-6464916 within 24 hours. You will receive an acknowledgement email from Public Gold regarding this.

Note that although some Inter-bank Giro (IBG) service does offer Recipient's Email Address field where you can put Public Gold's email address, this DOES NOT count as payment received proof. 

Please keep the ORIGINAL payment slip as you will need it when collecting your item(s).

#4. Collect your gold!

Before you go to your nearest/preferred branch, it is advisable for you to contact them one or two days before (contact numbers here) for stock collection appointment and to smoothen the whole process.

Don't forget to bring along the original payment slip and a copy of the Sales Order. You have to collect your item(s) within 2 months from Sales Order date. If uncollected, Public Gold will store it for you at a charge of 1% per year.

and Voila! You are one proud owner of that gold bar or coin. I never thought buying gold could be this easy ;)

Of course, if you have any problem or doubts, you can always contact your dealer. Or if all these just seem too complex to you, drop me your full name, IC no., mobile no., e-mail address and your location in Malaysia (or Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia etc) at my contact details or comment box below.

All the best!

Norazharina Mat Amin

PG040197

013-2092404

azharina.amin@gmail.com

Updated on 10th April 2014