Feb 4, 2011

PSM Stamp Fairs - Tentative Dates

Above are the tentative dates for the 2011 PSM Stamp Fair. Over the years, I can see that the number of dealers are definitely growing and its really good news for local philatelist. I truly hope we can have a World Class Stamp Fair very soon.


Last but not least, truly hope all of my friends especially locals would fully support the stamp fairs. Cya there!!!!

comments (1)

Feb 3, 2011

My First Maxicards for 2011

Maximaphily has definitely been the latest craze of philately. To be frank, I was rather skeptical at first but after much persuasion from friends, I finally decided to give it a try. You know what; its really very interesting and challenging. Getting the right postcard to match the stamp is definitely no easy matter.

Below are my first maxicards for 2011:
I have to agree its not the best but I thought the the rabbit's colour and patches are rather similar. However, the image of human in the card would be more appropriate.

I prefer this maxicard even though I had to sacrifice the ms to make this maxicard. Sadly, a mistake if you notice. OMG, I'm definitely still very amateur. I should have use the stamp to close the word ''HARE". That would definitely been better.

Anyway, I'm really hoping to make more maxicards in the near future and hopefully maxicards of much better quality. Definitely will need help from the experts hence all advice is truly appreciated.

comments (3)

Feb 2, 2011

28th Edition ISC Catalogue

Its been quite a while since I last blog and Im very sorry for disappointing my readers. It has been a tiring month for me as I was caught up with a lot of work. Finally manage to have some time for philately as its the Chinese New Year holidays. Not too sure what I should blog about but I guess I should take this opportunity to introduce the latest ISC Catalogue (28th Edition).


Yes, I'm sure most of us prefer SG, Scot or Michel but this is a really good and lets not forget very affordable catalogue for Malaysian collectors. I wouldn't rate it as the best catalogue but I'm sure its good enough for at least beginners.

For those who want a copy of this Catalogue, you can get it from International Stamp & Coins Sdn Bhd for RM76. PSM members are entitled for discount. LOL.

comments (0)

Jan 17, 2011

Trash Mail???

When I saw the newspaper today, I was rather shocked and disturbed by this picture:

Definitely a sad sad scenario in Malaysia. Isn't there any more appreciation for postal services? I truly hope this will never happen again. Though i have to agree that our postal services still needs improvement but this is NO WAY how we treat them.

Anyway, the person who took this picture was actually awarded RM50; what irony?


comments (2)

Oct 29, 2010

Pahang Heritage - Mourning Stamps?

Looking closer to the Pahang Heritage issue, we tend to wonder if its a coincidence or another one of those famous blunder by POS Malaysia. If you are wondering what I'm talking about, please take a good look at the stamps.

I have to agree they surprisingly look good but a black border is definitely very disturbing. Black border stamps are often associated with "national bereavement" or more commonly called "mourning" stamps. OMG, this is definitely a big blunder if you ask me.

Although this is not a cast in stone rule, I truly believe POS Malaysia and the designer should have avoided this kinda controversies. It will definitely add to the bad rapport POS Malaysia is currently building. Agreed that Pahang's flag is black and white but I'm sure there are millions of ways to reflect them on a stamp; not neccessarily with a black border.

I believe the Sultan himself or the state authorities must have seen the proofs and approved it before it was forwarded to POS for printing. So many parties was involved yet no one noticed? Its rather unbelievable.

Samples of mourning stamps with Black borders:


The Greek 250-drachma-on-3d stamp (Scott 499) shown in the stamp above was issued as a memorial for King George II, who died on April 1, 1947. The stamp was surcharged with a new value and overprinted with black borders. Overprinting existing stamp stocks allowed a quick release of the mourning stamp, just 14 days later on April 15.


Those in mourning used letter paper and envelopes that were edged in black. Some sources say that the width of the borders varied from narrow to broad based upon the closeness of the relationship of the writer to the deceased, the amount of time that has passed, or the importance of the deceased. The cover above illustrates a mourning cover mailed from Chelsea, England, to Yonkers, N.Y., in 1937.

The use of black borders was not restricted to postage stamps. In 1935, Belgium used black borders on semipostal stamps depicting the lovely Queen Astrid. Astrid was a Swedish princess who married Belgium's Crown Prince Leopold in 1926. In 1934, he ascended the throne and Astrid became the queen consort. On Aug. 29, 1935, 29-year-old Queen Astrid died in an automobile accident in the Swiss Alps. Just two months later, on Oct. 31, Belgium issued the 70-centime+5c Queen Astrid semipostal stamp (Scott B174) shown in stamp above. It was the first of a set of eight black-bordered Queen Astrid semipostal stamps.

comments (9)

Oct 19, 2010

Kaspersky Booklet - Truth Unveiled

Finally, the truth unveiled and yes, POS Malaysia did collaborate with Kaspersky to issue this special booklet. Checkout the article I got from theStar dated 8th December 2009.

Snapshot from theStar


I guess the image below speaks for itself.

From left) Director of TechLane Resources Sdn Bhd CH Tan, chief operating officer of PosNiaga Datuk Mearia Hamzah, Philatelic Society of Malaysia president VT Nathan and Cheung with the set of stamps.

Though its finally proven to be a collaboration between Kaspersky and POS Malaysia but there is definitely an uneasy feeling among Malaysian philatelist. The most intriguing thing here is that most PSM members are not aware of this issue. How can this be when our President Mr VT Nathan was there to launch the booklet. Something's wrong somewhere....

This booklet is still very ambiguous and there are just so many controversial matters surrounding this particular issue. However, I definitely believe with the right price, its a good item to have in a Malaysian Collection but for me, sorry; just not my type. Come on, using the same stamps with a different booklet? That's rather lame if you ask me.

I would love to know if this sort of scenarios do happen in your country. Appreciate comments and feedbacks.

comments (0)

Oct 18, 2010

Kaspersky Booklet?

While going through PSM's blog, I found something very interesting and would love to share it with my friends. I guess the images speaks for themselves...

Kaspersky Booklet


Trust me, I'm as surprise as all of you. Since when did Kaspersky (a reknown anti virus software) issued stamps in Malaysia? The funny thing here is that the stamps are obviously genuine and was taken from the One Malaysia collection issued on 31st August 2009.

One Malaysia Booklet


Please take note that anybody can come out with a private booklet with genuine stamps but the point here is whether POS Malaysiangave its authorization for the use of its name/logo. IMHO, I just fail to see the need for POS Malaysia to do this as the original issue comes with an official booklet. Seriously, something is not right here.

Another illegal issue? Yes, I used the word another solely because this has happened before. Around 1998-2000s, there were similar "private" booklets with blocks of genuine stamps for the Commanweath Games with the official POS logo which was later found to be unauthorized, hence making the booklet illegal.

Looking at this, it marks another black day for Malaysia Philately. Just imagine what will happen in the near future. Obviously, as a collector/philatelist, this provides us with another area to study but if you ask me, I definitely say this is rather unethical. How do we classify this in philately; forgery, cinderella, etc? or more percisely the work of some "Smart Alex" who is trying to make a fast buck.

Anyway, we will definitely need to know what is going on and the least POS Malaysia could do is to let us know what is happening. If this is an official issue, please explaing why it was not sold to the public; if not, please take the appropriate actions for the future of philately in Malaysia. Looking at things, I believe this will just end up another mystery like many other mystery issues in Malaysia. LOL...

comments (2)

Oct 15, 2010

Sneak Preview of Pahang Heritage (24-10-10)


Pos Malaysia Berhad will be issuing a special collection of stamps and first-day covers with regards to Pahang Heritage on 24th October 2010 in conjunction with the 80th Birth Anniversary of HRH Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah. There will be a total of 3 design with 60 sen, 80sen and RM1 denomination. In addition, the cover will be sold at 30 sen each.

To be frank, I was a little surprise as i was expecting Cameron Highlands, the national park, etc would be depicted as the heritage of Pahang. I guess I have no say to this and have to bluntly accept it. LOL. Nevertheless, this will be an interesting issue for those who collect on the theme on Malaysian Royalty.

I doubt this will be a HOT issue but I guess its too early for me to say so. Let's see what happen and as usual I will prepare covers for all my cover collector buddies. If any of my readers wants mint set, please drop me a mail/comment.

Price:
STAMP SET 3v :RM2.40
Cover: 30 sen

A little info:

HRH Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah ibni Sultan Abu Bakar Riayatuddin Al-Muadzam Shah (born 24 October 1930 at Istana Mangga Tunggal, Pekan) was the seventh Yang di-Pertuan Agong (roughly equivalent to King) of Malaysia from 29 March 1979 to 25 April 1984, and fifth Sultan of modern Pahang.

Born Tengku Ahmad Shah, he was the only son of Sultan Sir Abu Bakar Riayatuddin Al-Muadzam Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdullah Al-Mutassimu Billah Shah (reigned 1932-1974) by his official and royal consort, Tengku Ampuan Besar Fatimah binti Almarhum Sultan Iskandar Kadasallah Shah.

A student of the Malay College Kuala Kangsar, he received diplomas in public administration from Worcester College, Oxford and Exeter University. He succeeded his father as sultan in 1974.


comments (2)

Oct 13, 2010

Deepavali Personalized Stamps


Pos Malaysia will be issuing yet another personalized stamps with regards to celebration in Malaysia. This time around, its for Deepavali and Pos Malaysia will issue the full sheet on 14th October 2010 which is tomorrow. The full sheet cost RM19.00 which again I think its rather expensive when you consider the face value of the stamp which is only RM6.00

I guess this is an opportunity for collectors/philatelist to add this set to their personalized stamp collection. Moreover, an opportunity to have some private FDCs. That will be interesting. Though, its an interesting idea by Pos Malaysia, I do feel a sense of uneasiness when it comes to issues of this sort. How do we categorized them? They are personalized stamps which are officially issued by Pos Malaysia. I guess I better take this to my next post and I'm sure it will be a heated discussion as personalized stamps has always been a rather controversial thingy in philately.

Anyway, it will be great to have this stamps on a postal cover as this kinda cover can be scare in the future. Doubt many will buy these stamps to post their cards. LOL... To all my readers who are interested in this set, please drop me a message/comment as I will not be getting this set unless requested by friends.

Last but not least, I would like to take this opportunity to wish all my Hindu friends an advance HAPPY DEEPAVALI.

comments (0)

Oct 9, 2010

POS MALAYSIA STAFF REMANDED!!!

Snapshot from theStar


POS Malaysia is again in the news but sadly this time around its for the wrong reason. Its definitely a sad case and I'm really sad that POS Malaysia staff has done such a thing. IMHO, POS Malaysia should spend more time and effort to ensure top notch service rather than hiking up postage rates and issuing outrageously expensive stamps. e.g. POS Office issue that cost RM16.80 a set is definitely too expensive for students. I have to agree that the price is not too bad for the working class and serious philatelist but if philately is to gain popularity in Malaysia, POS Malaysia should seriously look into the matter.

For more details:

comments (0)

Sep 30, 2010

Maxicards - Orang Asli Lifestyle

Hereby, I would like to showcase some of the maxicards for Orang Asli Lifestyle issue. I'm definitely very new to maximaphily but this new area in philately has surely caught my attention. Though it seems easy, trust me its really hard to create a good maxicard where the postcard, stamp and cancellation is directly related.

However, the journey to find the perfect postcard and patiently wait till the day you can use card is definitely a worthwhile journey. The satisfaction you get from the privately made maxicard is just mind blowing. I'm really happy to be part of the fun and I have to thank Mr Ye for the encouragement and advice along the way. Just can't thank you enough and I truly hope I will be as good as you one day.


Maximaphily

Maximaphily is a branch of philately involving the study and creation of maximum cards. It is one of eleven classifications of philately recognised by the Fédération Internationale de Philatélie (FIP) and therefore has its own FIP Commission.The FIP Maximaphily Commission holds an annual conference on the subject, most recently at Bucharest in 2008.

A maximum card is made up of three elements, the postcard, the stamp and the postmark. The object of maximaphily is to obtain a card where the stamp and picture are in close concordance, ideally with an appropriate cancellation too. The image should not be of the stamp on the card.
Maximaphily displays have become popular at competitive philatelic exhibitions and special rules have been developed by the FIP to assist in judging the entries.

Maximaphily did not become organised until after the Second World War. Before then maximum cards were created as novelties, often by tourists. Maximaphily is closely associated with thematic or topical stamp collecting and many thematic collections are enhanced with appropriate maximum cards.


PS: I have to admit they are not the best of maxicards but hopefully these are small steps for me to reach greater heights in Maximaphily

comments (2)

Sep 28, 2010

Sneak Preview of Old Post Offices (09-10-10)

Pos Malaysia Berhad will be issuing a special collection of stamps and first-day covers with regards to POS Offices in Malaysia on 9th October 2010.There will be a total of 28 design with 60 sen denomination in a full sheet. In addition, the cover will be sold at 30 sen each.

This is definitely a very interesting issue as it depicts the old and new post offices from all the 14 states. In addition, it is significant because the launching day coincides with the World Post Day on 9th October. Please take note of the UPU emblem in the space between the two blocks, next to the three generations of POS logos. So the topic is very appropriate indeed.

It will definitely be a very interesting FDC as you can always try to get 14 different state postmark. However, a bigger cover is needed if you are to frank all the stamps on a single cover. Some creative thinking to do. LOL

However, personally i feel the price is definitely a BOMB for many collectors, even for me. I would prefer it to be issued in smaller quantities and could potentially be a very interesting collectible series.

Price:
STAMP SET 28v :RM16.80
Cover: 30 sen



The Post Offices on stamps set 1
PO Jalan Kelang Lama, Kuala Lumpur
PO Layang-Layang, Johor
PO Jalan Raja, Kedah
PO Temangan, Kelantan
PO Merlimau, Melaka
GPO Seremban, Negeri Sembilan
PO Bukit Fraser, Pahang
PO Kuala Kangsar, Perak
PO Kaki Bukit, Perlis
PO Jalan Bagan Luar, Pulau Pinang
PO Kudat, Sabah
GPO Kuching, Sarawak
Kajang, Selangor
GPO Kuala Terengganu

The Post Offices on stamps set 2
GPO Kuala Lumpur
GPO Johor Bahru, Johor
PO Sungai Petani, Kedah
PO Alor Gajah, Melaka
PO Bandar Baru Sering, Negeri Sembilan
PO Ringlet, Pahang
PO Tronoh, Perak
PO Kangar, Perlis
PO Bukit Mertajam, Penang
PO Sarikei, Sarawak
PO Bukit Rotan, Selangor
PO Jerteh, Terengganu

PS: Since this is a rather expensive copy for me, I'm not going to buy too many. So for friends who are interested, please kindly let me know before hand. Thanks

comments (5)

Sep 16, 2010

MALAYSIA DAY 2010

MNH Set
Today is the 47th anniversary of the formation of Malaysia. Malaysia Day is held on every September 16 to commemorate the establishment of Malaysian federation on the same date in 1963. It marked the joining together of Malaya, Singapore, Sarawak and North Borneo to form Malaysia. The formation of the new federation was planned to occur on June 1, 1963, but was later postponed to August 31, 1963, in order to coincide with the sixth Hari Merdeka (Independence Day). Several issues related to the Indonesian and the Filipino objection to the formation of Malaysia delayed the declaration to September 16 of the same year. The postponement was also done to allow the United Nations team time to conduct referendums in North Borneo (now known as Sabah) and Sarawak regarding the two states participation in a new federation.

To all Malaysians, I wish you HAPPY MALAYSIA DAY!

comments (0)

Sep 11, 2010

Sneak Preview of Orang Asli Lifestyle (27-09-10)

Pos Malaysia Berhad will be issuing a special collection of stamps and first-day covers with regards to Orang Asli Lifestyle on 27th September 2010.

Orang Asli are actually the aborigines of Malaysia. Its great that POS Malaysia is finally issuing stamps to commemorate their life style. Sadly, its been long overdue as I believe the aborigines in Malaysia can and should be included in many of the recent stamp designs; namely traditional costume 2009, traditional food 2010. Anyway, kudos to the great effort by POS Malaysia.

There will be 3 design each for the 60 sen denomination, 70 sen denomination and 80 sen denomination. In addition, the cover will be sold at 30 sen each. I love this issue as it yet again gives us the opportunity to create beautiful maxicards.

Price:
STAMP SET 3v :RM2.10
Cover: 30 sen

MNH stamps

FDC

A little info on Orang Asli in Malaysia:

Orang Asli (lit, "original peoples" or "aboriginal peoples" in Malay) is a general Malaysian term used for any indigenous groups that are found in Peninsular Malaysia. They are divided into three main tribal groups – Semang (Negrito), Senoi, and Proto-Malay (Aboriginal Malay). The Orang Asli are further divided into 18 sub-ethnic group according to their different languages and customs. The Negritos are usually found in the northern region of the peninsula, the Senois in the central region, and the Proto-Malay in the southern region. There is an Orang Asli museum at Gombak, which is about 25 km north of Kuala Lumpur.

According to the Encyclopedia of Malaysia, the Negritos, who number approximately 2,000, are regarded as the earliest inhabitants of the Malay Peninsula. They are of Australo-Melanesian affinity and probably descend from the people of Hoabinhian cultural period, with many of their burials found dating back 10,000 years ago. They speak the Aslian languages which is part of the Austro-Asiatic language family, as do their Senoi agriculturalist neighbours. Negritos belong to various subgroups, namely the Kensiu, Kintak, Lanoh, Jahai, Mendriq and Bateq. Those from Perak, Kedah and Pahang are also known as Sakai, the meaning of "Sakai" is debt slaves, while those from Kelantan and Terengganu were called Pangan, the forest peoples. The Senoi and Proto-Malay arrived much later probably during the Neolithic period.

For more info:


comments (0)

Sep 10, 2010

SELAMAT HARI RAYA AIDILFITRI

First pre-printed personalized stamps of Malaysia

Happy Aidilfitri or 'Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri' to all my Muslim readers. Above is the first pre-printed personalized stamps of Malaysia specially printed for Hari Raya Aidilfitri 2010. Its sold at RM19 per sheet but if you ask me, its rather pricey; taking into account the face value is only RM6. Anyway, I guess I cannot be the judge of this. It all depends on the philatelist; if this is part of what you collect, I guess it doesn't matter if its RM19 or RM90. We will still be willing to pay for it. Its just the parts and parcels of philately. HAHAHA.

With this sheet, I believe we can look forward to more issues for Christmas, Deepavali and Chinese New Year. Indirectly, POS Malaysia has introduced another area to collect. Interesting but I'm not too keen. My Birds of Prey is already keeping me on my toes...

comments (0)

Sep 9, 2010

PSM Stamp Fair - Published in THE STAR

Guess what? Next week's stampfair announcement is published in today's THE STAR. That's really great news as publicity is essential to ensure philately continues to grow in Malaysia. Kudos to all who work towards it. I'm sure this time around, the fair will definitely attract alot of new faces.

Snap Shot from the THE STAR
I understand that it's a small column but trust me, this small steps are important to promote philately in Malaysia. Philately is in Malaysia to STAY!!!

comments (0)

Aug 31, 2010

MERDEKA! MERDEKA! MERDEKA!

Its been 53 years since we got our independence on 31st August 1957. This year, Bukit Jalil Stadium was selected as the venue to celebrate and commemorate this glorious day. Malaysia is definitely very unique especially with a diverse culture. Speaking on that, I guess I'm a living example of a true Malaysian... LOL. I'm blessed to be a Chindian; my dad is Chinese while my mum is Indian. HAHAHA

With regards to philately, POS Malaysia has issued numerous philatelic materials. However, one of the area that has gained a lot of interest over the years are the 1957 Merdeka First Day Cover Collection. Talking on this, I guess on the most memorable event was in 2007 when a philatelic exhibition was held in Penang in conjuction with the 50th Merdeka Anniversary. The historic stamps and covers, some from private collections, was exhibited for a month on the first floor of the double-storey museum.

This particular collection is very interesting as it consists of both official covers and private covers. More importantly, it gives great pride to the collector for having something that is close to the heart of all Malaysia; a piece of history itself.

Samples of Official FDCs


Sample of Private FDC

PS: I guess any collection can be great if you put your HEART to it. It does not always need a heavy investment to have a collection you can be proud of. Just enjoy the hobby and I'm sure with time, we will have a collection that stands out.

comments (0)

Aug 22, 2010

Postal Automated Machine (PAM) Labels

My beloved wife, Pame buying PAM Labels

After such a long time, POS Malaysia finally released the new Pos Automated Machine (PAM) Labels on 3rd November 2009. Basically, there are five values from 30sen, 40sen, 50sen, RM1, and RM2. We can also select other values by selecting "Other Values" with 10sen being the minimum limit. This is definitely what Malaysians need as we dont really need to wait for long queues just to get stamps. Its also great news for local philatelist as PAM Labels finally provide us another area to study. Being around for the last 9 months or so, PAM has truly provided a number of varieties for users. As for me, Im not really focus on this area as there's no birds on the PAM labels or mayb u can argue that the POS Label has a bird after all.. Ooops, i got to rethink on this. LOL...

Thermal paper is being used, whereas laser beam is used to create the printing on the paper. In addition, PAM are self-adhesive hence provides great convenience. Some info on the 13 digits at the bottom of the denomination:

0012308100864

001:
Indicates the machine number (eg. 001, the machine 001 is located at GPO Kuala Lumpur)

230810:
Indicates the date (230810 = 23rd August 2010)

0864:
Indicates that the label is 864th print of that day


Postcards with PAM labels

Cover with PAM Labels
PS: If anyone is interested with PAM labels from Malaysia, please don't hesitate to drop me a mail.

comments (0)

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)