Collector inherits ‘gold’ in historical stamp
KULAI: For avid stamp collector Mohd Sidek Roslan, inheriting a 62-year-old stamp from his late father is like finding “gold”.
To make it even more remarkable, the stamp which bears the words “Kemerdekaan Ulang Tahun Yang Pertama Persekutuan Tanah Melayu” (First Anniversary of Independence of the Federation of Malaya) was released in 1958 as a special collective piece to commemorate the country’s first year of liberation from British rule.
For Sidek, a motivational expert, the 10 sen stamp with the image of Stadium Merdeka is priceless, in addition to it belonging to his late father Roslan Selamat, a former soldier who also collected stamps.
The stamp reminds Sidek of the struggles of the country’s first prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman in seeking the country’s independence from colonial rule.
“We achieved independence on Aug 31, 1957, but the process of gaining this freedom took a long time.
“We aren’t just looking at this stamp for its colour and art, but (to reflect) on events that happened at that time. My father gave me this stamp ... and later perhaps, my children and grandchildren will ask me about the history behind the stamp.
“For me, this stamp has its own sentimental value,” the 37-year-old said in an interview recently.
As a result of his father’s hobby, Sidek has been collecting stamps issued by Pos Malaysia in conjunction with the National Month celebration every year.
“Owning these stamps makes me feel more patriotic because of the history and stories attached to them,” said Sidek, who has been an avid stamp collector since 2015 and now owns about 1,000 unique and exclusive stamps from different eras. Sidek also owns stamps issued in conjunction with the coronation of the country’s kings.
In order to maintain the value and quality of decades-old stamps, Sidek advised that they should not be handled by hand.
“You should use tweezers and keep them in an album. The postmark on the stamp is important because it shows the stamp’s value and when it was issued,” he added.
He hopes that in conjunction with the 63rd National Day celebration this year, Malaysians remain united and prosperous, appreciate the meaning of independence that leaders in the past fought to achieve it and the hardships they went through.