Kuala Lumpur - BADAN Warisan Malaysia in Jalan Stonor, Kuala Lumpur, hosts an exhibition of postcards depicting scenes of colonial-era Peninsular Malaysia titled “Malaya: 500 Early Postcards”.
The exhibition, which began on Jan 30 and ends on Feb 23, features a selection of 150 postcards from Professor Cheah Jin Seng`s collection.
It is also in conjunction with the launch of Cheah`s book Malaya: 500 Early Postcards which has photographs and descriptions of the postcards.
The postcards on show include street scenes of Ipoh such as Jalan Treacher (today known as Jalan Bijih Timah), the famous Chingay procession of flag-carrying acrobats in Georgetown, Penang, and the mysterious monoliths in Pengkalan Kempas, Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan known as Batu Hidup (living rocks).
Visitors to the exhibition will get a rare glimpse of life, buildings, streets and the environment in the era of British rule, which heralded the arrival of modern, multi-racial Malaysia.
Cheah, of George Town, is an avid philatelist and deltiologist, and is particularly well-versed in the postal history of Singapore and Peninsular Malaysia (Malaya).
He is currently a Fellow of the Royal Philatelic Society of London and a director of the Singapore Philatelic Museum.
He has also written and co-published several articles on the subjects of stamps, postcards and medicine in Singapore.
By profession, Cheah is a both physician and an endocrinologist. His Singapore: 500 Early Postcards book was published by Editions Didier Millet, the joint organiser of the exhibition, in 2006.
The book Malaya: 500 Early Postcards is available for sale at the exhibition and is priced at RM79.
It highlights illustrations of 500 postcards from Cheah`s collection and offers a rare and comprehensive glimpse of Peninsular Malaysian colonial history right up to the independence of Malaya in 1957 and the formation of Malaysia in 1963.
It also has a richly illustrated text.
The exhibition is opened daily from 10am to 5.30pm, except Sundays and public holidays.
Source: www.nst.com.my (4 Februari 2008)
