GEORGE TOWN: Najihah Hussin has not been to a gold shop since November.
Yesterday, she rushed with her family from Alor Setar to Little India here just to buy gold, spending some RM30,000.
Najihah and her family were among those who wanted to take advantage of the fall in gold price.
Gold has fallen to below RM548 per gramme, as global investors shift their attention to oil amid tensions in the Gulf region, easing demand for the traditional safe-haven metal.
The dip sparked a buying frenzy at jewellery stores here, with customers crowding outlets to lock in what many described as a rare entry point.
“The last time I bought gold was in November, when it was about RM700. This feels worth it for the long term,” said Najihah, 34.
The family bought bracelets and necklaces, treating the purchases as both adornment and investment.
Azadila Alias, 44, from Kuala Lumpur, who was in Penang on holiday, said she had not planned to buy gold.
“But when it drops like this, you don’t think twice. I’ve been waiting for a dip.
“It feels like an opportunity you cannot miss,” she said, adding that she saw gold as a hedge against inflation.
Her sister Azaemira, 38, said the family moved quickly after hearing about the price.
“My sister told me the price had dropped. I came straight away,” she said.
Jewellery trader Muhammad Muzammil Abdullah, 37, said the lower price had boosted both footfall and sales.
“For us, volume matters. If prices are high and there are no customers, that’s worse.”
He said customer turnout and sales had risen by more than 50% since the drop.
Another trader, Mohamed Raffi Mydin, 36, said buying interest surged after Hari Raya.
“When the price dropped, many people came in to buy,” he said, adding that sales had increased by about 50%.
