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Heritage
Born and bred in pewter dust
1885
Yong Koon arrives in Kuala Lumpur from the Chinese port town of Shantou. He joins his two brothers who are working as tinsmiths in the tin mining town. They make ceremonial items for the ancestral altars of the Chinese community.
Yong Koon arrives in Kuala Lumpur from the Chinese port town of Shantou. He joins his two brothers who are working as tinsmiths in the tin mining town. They make ceremonial items for the ancestral altars of the Chinese community.
1930
Yong Koon's wife Loh Pat saves enough money to buy the family its own shophouse, at No. 219, Pudu Road. The couple and their four sons, Peng Pow, Peng Sin, Peng Kai and Peng Seong, move in and start Malayan Pewter Works. The low price of tin prompts the company to shift its focus from Chinese ceremonial pieces to European-style cigarette boxes, ashtrays, vases, teapots and more utilitarian items.
1942
The Japanese occupy Malaya, driving out the British. Peng Sin, Peng Kai and Peng Seong start Selangor Pewter. The Japanese declare tin a controlled commodity and Selangor Pewter begins making sake sets for the Japanese military.
1945
World War Two is over and the British return to Malaya. Peng Kai continues to run Selangor Pewter out of Pudu Road. He soon opens a modest retail outlet on Batu Road (now Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman).
1957
Malaya achieves independence from the British.
1962
Selangor Pewter moves to a modern factory in Setapak with 70 employees.
1963
The states of Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak in north Borneo, and Singapore formed Malaysia. Differences between the Malaysian government and the Singapore leadership result in the exit of Singapore from Malaysia in 1965.
1968
Selangor Pewter opens its first full shop at No. 231, Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman. The shop soon becomes a popular stop for tourist to Malaysia.
1972
Selangor Pewter starts Selberan, one of the first Malaysian companies to design and make European-style jewellery.
1979
The Sultan of Selangor confers Selangor Pewter the warrant of the "Royal Pewterer".
1985
Selangor Pewter celebrates the centenary of Yong Koon's arrival in Malaysia with an exhibition at Muzium Negara (National Museum) in Kuala Lumpur, entitled "100 Years of Malaysian Pewter." The company also makes the world's largest pewter tankard.
1989
Selangor Pewter acquires Englefields, a 300-year-old London pewterer and maker of Crown & Rose pewter.
1992
Selangor Pewter is renamed Royal Selangor, reflecting it status as royal pewterer.
1993
Royal Selangor acquires London silver company Comyns, including some 35,000 designs convering many periods, from Rococo, Baroque to Art Nouveau.
2000
Royal Selangor introduces a new namestyle and corporate identity.
2002
Royal Selangor acquires Seagull Pewter of Canada.
2004
Royal Selangor inaugurates a visitor centre as its headquarters in Setapak where visitors learn about the company's beginnings, the history of pewter and the story of tin in Malaysia.
2010
Royal Selangor opens new store at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur.
2019
Royal Selangor installed rooftop solar panels generating 870kW of renewable energy daily, powering manufacturing and visitor centre operations while reducing environmental impact and supporting sustainable production.
2022
Royal Selangor opens new UK flagship store at Battersea Power Station.
2024
Royal Selangor Visitor Centre celebrates its 20th Anniversary, marking two decades of sharing Malaysian heritage with global visitors.
2025
The Royal Selangor Kombi became a symbol of our 140th anniversary celebrations, paying tribute to the 1960s delivery vans that once carried our pewter across Malaysia. More than a nostalgic recreation, it honoured the journey that helped shape the Royal Selangor story.
2026
Royal Selangor begins a new chapter with the opening of its Gallery at Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad, bringing its rich heritage, craftsmanship, and timeless design to the heart of Kuala Lumpur.
Heritage
Born and bred in pewter dust
