Traditional Festive Food of Malaysia ...

Just a day or two before the arrival of Ramadhan - Muslims' fasting month, POS Malaysia issues stamps on Traditional Festive Food. After the increase of tariff on 1st July, this is one of the most expensive issue. When i was at the post office, i heard many complaints about the high price not on a par with design and quality of stamps. Also, the food on stamps are not as appealing (just colourful !) as compared to food stamps from neighbouring Indonesia and Singapore.

Grand Knight of Valour Award of Malaysia ...

Strangely, there is stamp issue in Malaysia today - a Saturday ! According to the information from the FDC, the Grand Knight of Valour award (or "Darjah Kebesaran Seri Pahlawan Gagah Perkasa" in Malay) was created on 29 July 1960 and was gazette on 11 Aug 1969 ... these dates seem to have nothing to do with the issue date (31 July). Not quite sure how this date is chosen! Moreover, the Philately office in GPO KL is closed on Sat, Sun and Public Holidays (in this case, they need to come back to work) & post offices in some states (Kelantan, Terengganu and Kedah) are closed on Saturday.

Never mind about all these! Saturday seems to be good for me (and maybe to all collectors too) as no need to worry about work, albeit need to endure the congestion at the causeway as many are crossing over to JB during the weekend. There are fewer people at the post office, especially on Saturday afternoon, therefore the postal staff have more time to entertain my many different requests ... thanks : )

Bunga-Bungaan Taman - Tarif Baru (II)

Some covers sent on July 1st - the first day of tariff increase ... looks like there were still ok, without postage due ! Although the last cover with "T" postmark, but no value indicated. Noticed that JB mail centre had stopped using the "1Malaysia" slogan postmark. Sometimes the "1Malaysia" postmark looks ugly with one dark mark covering the upper portion of the stamps.

Bunga-Bungaan Taman - Tarif Baru

Effective from 1st July, the postage rate for domestic mails in Malaysia (only domestic!) will be increased. Standard mail up to 20gram will now require a postage of RM0.60, from the previous RM0.30, an increase of 100%.

In conjunction with the new tariff, POS Malaysia issues a new "National" Definitive Series today, by modifying the previous "State" Definitive Series - Garden Flowers (Bunga-Bungaan Taman, in Malay) and introducing 2 additional flowers (i.e RM1 - Bunga Tasbih, RM2 - Bunga Alamanda). Strangely, POS Malaysia does not provide any pamphlet for the First Day Cover of this issue, as it normally does for other issues.

Check out other Malaysia stamp issues by clicking the LABELS of "2010 Malaysia Stamp Issue" on your right, below.

Keretapi Tanah Melayu ... (II)

In my post yesterday, you might be wondering if i'm not showing you other stamps from the KTM issue. In fact, i did not manage to purchase those stamps. Understood from the collectors who started queueing up to wait for the opening of the JB GPO at 8.30am, they did not manage to buy the complete set either and had to hunt their stamps from one post office to another. Is this issue really that "HOT" or ... ???

With the help of fellow collectors and after spending much time hunting, i managed to get limited stamps just sufficient for my own covers and maxicards. After we got the stamps from other post offices, we had to come back to JB GPO for the first day cancellation as other post offices did not hold any rubber stamp for first day cancellation. This may sound ridiculous to you too ... !!!

I like this KTM issue because it is nostalgic to me. This was one of the first stamp issues that was introduced to me when i first started this hobby during my childhood. At that time, it was 100th anniversary of KTM.

After i had settled my things in JB GPO, i dropped by JB Railway Station to check out the events for the celebration of 125 years of KTM. Then i met the Regional Manager of JB Railway Station who was kind enough to let me use his stamps to realise a few covers/card. The Southern Regional Manager is in charge of railway transport not only in the state of Johor, but also Singapore (in the South) and till Rembau, Negeri Sembilan (in the North).

Also, i purchased a train ticket from JB to Singapore. Here is how it looks like.

This ticket (with serial number 7221) may look old-fashioned but i like it very much. I understood from the train staff that this kind of ticket will be issued only when their computer system is down. The destination is stated as "Singapura" which is actually refered to Tanjong Pagar Railway Station, the terminal station in Singapore. I should also purchase one for Woodlands although it sounds ridiculous based on the short distant, as i understand that the destination will be stated as "Woodlands" for Woodlands Railway Station. I paid three Ringgit for the train ticket from Johor Bahru to Singapura.

Keretapi Tanah Melayu ... (I)

* Postcard showing train on the Johore Causeway, en route to Singapore (1950). The Johore Causeway was opened in 1923 carrying road and rail traffic.

125 years of service of Malayan Railways ...

Since the first railway line in Malaya between Taiping and Port Weld (now Kuala Sepetang) was officially opened on 1 June 1885, Keretapi Tanah Melayu / KTM (or Malayan Railways) has been in rail transport service for 125 years this year.

Taiping's mining industry continued to be developed quickly in the 19th century when tin was discovered. The first railway was built to transport tin from Taiping to Port Weld at the coast for export.

Today, the whole railway line is now dismantled and in Kuala Sepetang, only the ticketing booth and Port Weld railway signboard remain. The ticketing booth is now a Chinese coffee shop and the shop owner has been maintaining the railway signboard.

It's Time for a Tiger ...

I just can't wait to share with you a self-made cover with Tiger Beer label and Tiger stamps from Malaysia-Korea joint issue. This cover, which was franked with 2 stamps, i.e the Malayan Tiger & Korean Tiger, with first day cancellation and traditional datestamp cancellation from Johor Bahru (JB) on the day of issue, is simply gorgeous!

Since it was brewed in 1932, Tiger Beer has become an Asian icon, serving the taste of Asia to more than 70 countries the world over. Find out more about Tiger Beer here.

A point to add on - this stamp issue was so hot that it ran out of stock in most of the post offices in JB, hours after started selling. I managed to purchase only few sets for these self-made covers and sending to friends abroad, from a remote post office in JB, insufficient stamps for the number of covers that i'd prepared.