A cuppa and a bottled-up passion
Coffee shop owner shares with customers his penchant for old stamps and cig boxes
KLUANG: Many people know 83-year-old Wong Chia Fatt as a third generation coffee shop owner who specialises in selling soft-boiled eggs, coffee and toast in this rural agriculture town of Paloh.
What many people do not know is that this businessman collects thousands of old stamps, dozens of old glass bottles, and even old cigarette boxes.
Wong’s vast collection of 50 stamp albums includes hundreds of firstday covers from both Malaya/ Malaysia and Singapore dating back almost 67 years.
“I deposited money with Singapore Post, and each time they come up with a first-day cover, I will get a copy of it here.
“I have also done the same for the Malaysian side. So, until now, I am still getting my regular supply of stamps and first-day covers from both countries,” he said during an interview at his shop in Paloh.
Wong said among his favourite stamps were those marking the 1955 diamond jubilee of Sir Ibrahim, Sultan of Johor; Malaysia’s independence in 1957; and Sultan Ismail’s crowning in 1960.
“I also have all the stamps that were released to mark major landmarks in Malaysia, including the KL International Airport (KLIA), the National Mosque, the Parliament building, and also the formation of Malaysia Airlines,” he said, adding that he started collecting stamps when he was 13.
Among the foreign stamps in his possession is that marking the late Queen Elizabeth II’S coronation in 1953.
“She was a very pretty person. I was shocked and saddened by her passing this year,” said the father of three.
Wong’s grandfather started the shop a few years after relocating from China to Paloh in 1925 as a chef specialising in western cuisine.
He eventually opened his own shop, selling bread and coffee.
“My grandfather then handed the business over to my father before I took over in the 1980s.
“Besides the stamps, I also have about 100 types of glass bottles in my shop.
“Those days, all soft drinks came in bottles, not in plastic like nowadays,” he said, adding that one of his oldest bottles with a round bottom was more than 100 years old.
Many of Wong’s customers are intrigued and fascinated by the various bottles on display, ranging from 250ml to 1,000ml.
Wong also likes collecting old cigarette boxes, despite not being a smoker.
“There have been offers to purchase my collection, but I have no plans to sell them.
“There was also an offer for them to be displayed at a museum with my own section, but I will give them to my children and let them decide what to do,” he said, adding that one of his children was helping him and his wife run the business.