CATALYST:Sutera Mall is holding a 15-day exhibition with the hope of sparking interest in stamp collecting as a hobby among the young
THE decline in letter writing as a means of communication has indirectly led to the loss of interest in stamp collecting as a hobby. Stulang state assemblyman Mok Chek Hou said today's youth preferred SMSes, email and social media networks as means to communicate rather than write letters.
Mok said at the official opening of the Sutera Mall's inaugural stamp exhibition in Skudai that stamp collecting was a popular hobby among children in the past.
"Children those days saved up to buy local and foreign stamps for their collections, and expensive albums to keep the stamps in," Mok said.
"I hope parents and teachers will encourage the younger generation to collect stamps as a hobby."
The 15-day exhibition, which began last Saturday, is jointly organised by Tanah Sutera Development Sdn Bhd and the shopping mall.
About 100 visitors and guests attended the launch.
The organiser aimed to attract as many school children as possible to the exhibition, and encourage them to collect stamps as a hobby.
Held at Level 2 of the mall, among the displays is a rare collection of some 10,000 stamps from Malaysia, Singapore, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau. The stamps are owned by philatelists Goh Lak Jin and Choa See Ho.
More than a dozen booths were set up to exhibit collections spanning more than five decades.
Goh, who is also Tanah Sutera's senior centre manager, has been instrumental in the organisation of the exhibition.
A stamp collector since his childhood, Goh displayed 70 per cent of his collection at the exhibition.
Choa, who also started collecting stamps as a boy, is a retired teacher.
Visitors can also check out the replica of one of Goh's most precious collection -- a stamp from China postmarked 1962 which he bought for a mere RM3, but was later valued at more than RM2 million.
A foreign philatelist had offered to pay Goh a hefty sum for the rare stamp, but he turned down the offer.
Tanah Sutera Development advertising and promotions manager Zahayu Shima Ayub pointing out a duplicate of a rare stamp now valued at at a duplicate of the 50 year old stamp belonging to Goh Lak Jin which now valued at a staggering RM2 million. Pic by Syed Abdullah Syed Mohamed
Stulang state assemblyman Mok Chek Hou (left) trying out an electronic device that scans the details of a stamp. Looking on are Goh Lak Jin (centre) and Choa See Ho. Pic by Syed Abdullah Syed Mohamed
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