Posted on 30 August 2007 @ 15:50 in Memories
My late father had collected first day covers (FDCs) of various countries, including our own. Recently, I got down to sorting through them, more than a year after he left us. Well, not really sorting through them, but transferring them to plastic boxes that will protect the FDCs better.
Later, when thinking about the approaching 50th anniversary of Malaysia’s independence, and what I can do on this blog to commemorate it, I remembered seeing an FDC of the 10th Merdeka in the collection. I remembered lingering over it to admire how clean and well-kept it’d remained all these years. So I went back through the box holding the Malaysian FDCs, and came across an even older FDC – in fact, the country’s very first Merdeka FDC, postmarked 31 August 1957. Its condition was less clean and less than well-kept, but it was a historic FDC, nonetheless. But there was not all – I also found an alternative version, so in fact, there are two versions of the country’s first Merdeka FDC.
Put side by side, all three FDCs tell a story of how we’ve progressed – the language used, the racial communities represented. So here, in chronological order, Malaysia’s first Merdeka FDC (both versions) and the 10th Merdeka FDC.
(Oh wait, the 10th Merdeka FDC actually commemorates the 10th anniversary of Malaysia; Malaya, the country’s original name when it gained independence in 1957, had been renamed Malaysia in 1963 to reflect the addition of the states of Sabah and Sarawak to Malaya, so this FDC commemorates the 10th anniversary of that event and not of the 1957 independence.)
FDC commemorating Merdeka in 1957, postmarked 31 August 1957, and featuring three of the four main languages (English, Malay and Chinese):
A second version of the 1957 Merdeka FDC:
By the time of the 10th anniversary of Malaysia in 1973, the country had standardised its choice of main language – Malay – which is the only language featured on the FDC, including on the postmark. In additon to the Malaysian flag, the FDC also featured the flags of the 13 Malaysian states:
Happy Birthday, Malaysia. We’ve come a long way.
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Posted on 30 August 2007 @ 15:00 in Family, Memories
On the eve of celebrations for Malaysia’s 50th year of independence, I find myself wondering where were my parents on that morning of 31 August 1957?
This is a question I’ll never have an answer to. I can’t ask him because he’s not here anymore. I can’t ask her because only her body’s here, her mind’s wandering most of the time. I can try. Maybe I’ll do that when I see her this Saturday.
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Posted on 27 August 2007 @ 23:34 in Family, Memories
I remember my mother telling me the year Malaysia turned 10 in 1967 that the 10th Merdeka (Independence Day) was a milestone for the country, and that the next milestone would be the 25th Merdeka. And now look at us – a few days away from our 50th Merdeka.
The family shop used to be a favourite gathering place on 31 August each year. Relatives and friends would visit as, thanks to the shop’s location right in front of Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman (or Batu Road as it used to be called), the first floor had the best view of the Merdeka parade that would begin at Selangor Padang (old name for Dataran Merdeka) and go along the entire length of Batu Road right up to the roundabout (where the Chow Kit Monorail station is today).
In those days, Jalan TAR was the longest and straightest road in all of Kuala Lumpur. The family shop was located somewhere near the end of the long stretch. Each year’s parade would include schools represented by their students. Most everyone growing up would probably have participated in one of the Merdeka parades.
We would watch and wave to family members involved in the parade each year. But because by the time the parade got to our part of the road, it was almost at the end, they would be tired and out of order, totally unlike when they started at Selangor Padang, marching past the King, the Prime Minister and members of the Malaysian Cabinet. The year my brother was in the parade, he perked up as he and his gang approached the shop and waved to us as they marched past.
All this was before the overhead bridge was built near the old Post Office just in front of the Chow Kit market, which made it difficult for the taller Merdeka floats to pass under, and also before Jalan TAR was made one way (unfortunately, the wrong way). Even then, I think the road was closed for the parades along Jalan TAR each year. I don’t remember watching recent years’ parades. I was out of the country between 1986 and 1990, and the year I returned, we moved out of the family shop and out of the neighbourhood. These days, if I get to watch the Merdeka parade at all, it would be in front of the TV. And even if I do, it would be just so totally different from how it was when I was growing up and living along Jalan TAR.
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Posted on 25 August 2007 @ 09:42 in Health
If you’re looking for a meaningful way to commemorate Malaysia’s 50th Merdeka (50th year of Malaysia’s independence), why not give to charity? In particular, why not give to RealRewards’ “Caring Malaysians – Rakyat Malaysia Prihatin” fund-raising campaign? For every RM10/- given, or 1,500 Real points (if you’re a RealRewards cardholder), you will be given a car sticker (shown below). Put the sticker on your car’s windscreen and stand a chance to win a family holiday package in the “Spot-2-Win” contest.
RealRewards has pledged the money raised in this campaign to two specific healthcare NGOs – the Malaysian AIDS Foundation, which is involved in helping people living with HIV/AIDS, and Persatuan SLE Malaysia, which is involved in helping people living with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) or Lupus, an auto-immune disorder in which the person’s body produces antibodies that attack healthy cells in the body.
For further information on where to get the car sticker, please call (03) 8023-2626 or log on to www.realrewards.com.my.
This campaign is very close to my heart as I was diagnosed with Lupus in 1994. With the money raised from this campaign, Persatuan SLE Malaysia will be able to expand its much-needed patient counselling services to major government hospitals throughout the country. RealRewards is targetting to raise RM1 million through this campaign. Your RM10/- or 1,500 Real points will help both the Persatuan SLE Malaysia and the Malaysian AIDS Foundation.
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Posted on 23 August 2007 @ 00:39 in Stress Busters
Yoong Ping, the little panda cub I adopted in September last year, turns 1 today!
Happy Birthday, Yoong Ping!
I’d wanted to be there to celebrate her birthday, but with my sister away at the same time, I have to be around for mother, so I’m only going to Wolong early next month.
Meanwhile, I have some recent pictures of her, thanks to an American couple, Greg and Francie, who were volunteering in Wolong until recently. I began corresponding with Greg, mainly to ask for more information about the volunteer work there, but then I remembered to ask him to enquire about Yoong Ping for me. He did, and found her, and took some pictures for me!
Carrie Phillips, Asst Director of Pandas International – I’d adopted Yoong Ping through them – also asked Wolong for some recent pictures, and requested that they have a little birthday party for her today. But because this is the busiest time of year for Wolong (lots of cubbies waiting to be born!), they replied that they can only arrange for some special food for her and to take some pictures of her on her birthday, too. So, while I wait for her birthday pictures, here are some recent ones taken by Greg and Francie, and also arranged through Pandas International.
I thought the picture above looks a lot like one taken of her when she was around three months old:
Here’s one from Wolong, arranged through Pandas International:
Related Posts:
Adopt a Panda
Oh, happy (panda) day!
Forever Peace
Yoong Ping in Chinese
Adoption Confirmed
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