About GPPKM Est. 2016

Malaysia's national federation for the locksmith trade

Gabungan Persatuan Peniaga Kunci Malaysia (GPPKM) unites lock retailers, locksmiths and home-security tradespeople nationwide — raising standards, training talent, and partnering the Royal Malaysia Police on crime prevention.

Registered society · PPM-007-10-17042016

Our story 01

Founded 17 April 2016

GPPKM was registered on 17 April 2016 — the date it secured its society registration with the Registrar of Societies Malaysia (ROS no. PPM-007-10-17042016). The federation had been initiated in 2015 by a group of veteran locksmiths determined to give the trade a single, professional national voice.

Founding initiators: Chea Man Kai, Khoo Boon Kuan, Khoo Boon Siong, Lee Han Siang, Khoo Boon Huat, Loh Wing Cheong, Tan Lau Ban and Eric Lee — with Dato' Sri Ang Lai Hee J.P. as founding President and Dato' Dr. Azman Ching as Deputy President. The federation held its opening ceremony on 30 June 2016.

2016
Registered (ROS)
13
States represented
3×
National championships
Milestones 02
  • 2015

    Federation initiated

    Founding locksmiths convene to give the trade a single, professional national voice.

  • 17 Apr 2016

    Registered with ROS

    Society registration secured with the Registrar of Societies (ROS no. PPM-007-10-17042016).

  • 30 Jun 2016

    Opening ceremony

    Dato' Sri Ang Lai Hee elected first President; the national council is formed.

  • 29–30 Oct 2016

    1st Malaysia Lock Expo & Lock-Picking Championship

    Held with the Royal Malaysia Police (JPJKK) at City Hotel @ One City, USJ.

  • 2019

    2nd Expo & Championship

    Staged at Atria Shopping Gallery, again partnering the police on crime-prevention education.

  • Today

    Malaysia Open — 3rd Locksport Championship

    The competition continues to grow, inspiring the next generation of Malaysian locksmiths.

What we stand for 03

Our mission & vision

Mission

  • Provide an industry platform for skills and technology exchange and open discussion.
  • Elevate the professional image and self-worth of the locksmith trade.
  • Strengthen the integrity of the lock industry and contribute to public safety and national security.
  • Develop a Locksmith Service Handbook setting safe, lawful unlocking standards.
  • Build cohesion across the trade and run professional upskilling courses.

Vision

  • Win government & Ministry-of-Education recognition of locksmith professional & technical certification.
  • Develop locksmiths into a skilled, ethical professional body that serves society.
  • Form a trained locksmith team to assist the police in handling relevant cases.
Heritage of the craft 04

A short history of locks & keys

From hand-carved padlocks to computerised key programming — the trade GPPKM champions spans centuries.

Antiquity – Ming/Qing

Chinese guang & huaqi locks

Ornate brass spring-leaf padlocks engraved with auspicious motifs; complexity once mirrored an owner's official rank. A breakthrough of its age, the design changed little for two millennia.

1843 & 1861

The Yale pin-tumbler lock

Linus Yale Jr. perfected the pin-tumbler lock in 1843, refining ancient Egyptian ideas; in 1861 he devised the flat, edge-serrated key — the door key still in use worldwide today.

1784 & 1851

Bramah & the 51-hour pick

Joseph Bramah's 1784 cylinder lock was so secure his shop-window challenge (200 guineas) stood unbeaten until Alfred C. Hobbs picked it at the 1851 Great Exhibition — taking a full 51 hours.

From hand to machine. In the 1950s a key took 40 minutes to an hour to cut entirely by hand. Machine key-cutting arrived in the 1980s, and today computerised programming handles transponder and remote keys — faster, more precise, and demanding constant learning from the modern locksmith.
Competition & public safety 05

The Malaysian Locksport Championship

GPPKM pairs a home-security & anti-theft Lock Expo with a competitive lock-picking championship, run in partnership with the Royal Malaysia Police's Crime Prevention & Community Safety Department (JPJKK). It is a crime-prevention public-education initiative — not merely a contest — and lets GPPKM run security-lock courses and lawfully accredit locksmiths' skills.

International advisors 06

World-class masters mentor the championship and the trade:

Peter Yeung UK Lee Chung Ho Hong Kong Hu Yong China Pan De Feng China

Be part of Malaysia's lock trade

Meet the council, join the federation, or get in touch.

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Consumer safety guides

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