I got my first few stamps at the tender age of 8, and I didn't know that these few stamps would have destined my long philatelic journey then. Believe it or not, those first few stamps were actually postally used stamps collected from dustbins in a school office.... Well, my father was a primary school teacher, and we were not that well off so that my family decided to stay in staff hostel provided by the school. The staff hostel was located within the school compound, and we siblings went to the same school where we stayed. The thing I liked most staying in staff hostel was that I could wake up in the morning half an hour before the school session commenced because my classroom was just 50 m away from my little sweet bed.
My father noticed my new interest on stamps, he used his limited salary to buy me a small China-made stamp album. I was like a spoilt kid playing with my little stamp album. For the next 2-3 years I collected so many postally used Harrison butterfly stamps from the school dustbins. My album was so full with Harrison butterfly stamps, and I started to hate these Harrison butterfly stamps! Then, one of my primary school teachers gave me a few dozens worldwide used stamps. I didn't know how he got them, but these worldwide used stamps were generally in small size from all over the world. Nevetheless, I was extremely happy with these small sized used worldwide stamps, and I was so proud to show my these worldwide stamps to many of my school peers. Many years later only I knew that these worldwide used stamps that given by my school teacher were actually junk stamps.... hahahahahaha. Eventhough what given were junk stamps, I'm still very much thankful and grateful to him as without these junk stamps you might not be reading this article.
I got my first FDC (of course Malaysia one) in 1983 - the hornbill stamps. I went to my local post office (Sungai Siput) to buy just a set of stamps and a blank cover. I made myself the FDC. I didn't buy any mint hornbill stamps to keep, not because I didn't like the mint stamps. My family was still strugling to make a living, and I was so thrilled that my father gave me RM2 for making possible this hornbill FDC! I didn't buy mint stamps, and I didn't make FDC for every issue because I was shy to ask my father for money... the money was more important for the livelihood of the family than the FDC.
The family livelihood was getting better from 1984 onwards. I did get more pocket money from my father for my school food. From time to time, I tried to save the money for my FDCs. I even ventured further into buying mint stamps from stamp dealers. I got my first stamp purchase from International Stamp and Coin Sdn Bhd in 1984. I bought the Olympics stamps and miniature sheet of PR China. I opened a SODA with Pos Malaysia in 1990, but the account was frozen in 1995 due to insufficient fund. Another reason for the SODA frozen was because I departed to the UK for my postgraduate study in 1995.
One important event worth to mention here was that I visited to KL 92 Stamp Exhibition. It was a very important milestone for the philately of Malaysia because for the very first time Malaysia was holding an international stamp event. At the time I was studying at UKM, therefore I could make daily trips to Kuala Lumpur to visit to the stamp exhibition.
I set my feet again on the soil of Malaysia in November 1998 after 3-4 years of soaking myself in the water of the UK. Immediately, I joined Philatelic Society of Malaysia in 1999 as a life member. In 1999, I was a working adult then, and I managed to pay the life membership fee without problem though my finance was still very tight. I needed to pay my car loan, I needed to pay my house rent, and my salary was low. So, my purchasing power on stamp was still low.
Time flies, I have been in stamp collecting for 33 years. It may not be long enough compared to my many stamp collector fellows in Malaysia of whom I meet regularly during PSM stamp fairs and PSM stamp auctions.... I don't know why my mind has been wondering for the last few months if I need to quit stamp collecting. Years ago, I told myself that stamp is my life, but today I beg to make a change - stamp is not everything...........