A reader from Finland email me recently asking about our Malaysia Mint. He told me that he will be visiting Kuala Lumpur on December this year and asked something about Malaysia Mint. He has been doing some research about Malaysia Mint and found out about KL Mint via my blog but he cannot find any address or website for that mint. He want to know is it possible to visit KL Mint and if possible the details of the visiting hours, visiting procedure or do he need to write letter first before he can visit that place. A friend told him about a visit to Malaysia Royal Mint long time ago before they closed. He also said that visiting a mint will help him to collect Malaysia coins and if possible Malaysia bullion's either gold or silver. I told him that I will reply to him via my blog since they're many information that foreigner don't know regarding Mint in Malaysia. Most information are in our Malaysian language, Malay and it will be possible for foreigner to find that information.
I think he found information about KL Mint via my post; KL Mint P.Ramlee coins. That post publish on November 2011 and many thing has been changing since that. I myself has a chance to talk about KL Mint with Chief Executive Officer of KL Mint, Othman Abdullah himself. I suppose to meet him for a chat about KL Mint and their vision in Malaysia numismatic scene. That meeting session never happen. I heard rumour (I consider it as a rumour since the story don't came from a person closed to Mr. Othman Abdullah) that Mr. Othman Abdullah has been pass away few months after the release of P.Ramlee coins. If that rumour is true, it will be a sad thing for Malaysia Numismatic. From my chat via email and phone with Mr. Othman Abdullah, I knew he got many great idea's for Malaysia Numismatic community. Without him, KL Mint project cannot be realize. He is one of the important men in Royal Mint Malaysia before and he has a vast knowledge in Malaysia Numismatic. For foreigner out there who are reading this, there is no KL Mint office or website. The KL Mint project has never been completed most probably because their CEO, Mr. Othman Abdullah has been pass away.
The only Mint in Malaysia today is Kilang Wang Bank Negara in Shah Alam, owned by Bank Negara Malaysia (Malaysia Central Bank). Information in Wikipedia about Royal Mint Malaysia is not correct. You cannot visit Kilang Wang Bank Negara because the mint never open for public. I were told that the mint has been closing their doors to any visit by public for security reason. I and few friends has been trying to visit that mint since last year and asking all our available source at Bank Negara for help but without any successful solution. Visiting the mint is important to us because we need to learn in Malaysia Mint itself how Malaysia coins are minted.
I hope this explanation are enough to make foreigner understand about Malaysia Mint. If you're interested in numismatic, I suggest you read my post about a must visit numismatic places in Kuala Lumpur; Top 5 KL must visit place. They're other numismatic places that you can visit such as BNM Sasana Kijang Anjung Numismatik.
