Malaysia to tap ‘latent demand’ with gold futures offering

The Gold Futures Contract (FGLD), Malaysia’s first precious metals futures contract, will begin trading on the Malaysian stock market’s derivatives exchange this Monday.

The contract, which trades gold in the small volume of 100g, was designed to provide easier access, particularly for domestic retail investors.

“In Malaysia, gold is a highly desirable commodity from a cultural standpoint, so the minimum contract size of 100gm for Bursa FGLD provides greater accessibility and affordability,” said Bursa Malaysia’s CEO, Datuk Tajuddin Atan.

“We are confident that the new Bursa gold futures contract, because it is traded on our highly regulated exchange, will become the trusted way to trade gold in Malaysia,” he added.

Jeffrey Tan Seng Hui, president of Bursa Malaysia’s Derivatives is optimistic that the futures offering and gold’s perceived role as a hedge against inflation will attract many new gold investors:

“There is a lot of latent demand for gold investment here and we have a well-functioning marketplace…an avenue for investors to get exposure to gold prices.”