The Malaya Study Group

This, the first of Len Stanway’s three-volume magnum opus covering the initial period 1948 to 1963, meets the need for comprehensive information on the stamps and postal stationery of postwar Malaya and Malaysia. Modern issues have generally been studiously ignored by serious philatelists but a look at the wealth of new information in Len’s new book demonstrates that this is indeed a rich and rewarding field for anyone who ventures into this area. The attractive presentation of the information, together with many full colour illustrations, makes this book highly readable even for the rank beginner.

Conveniently divided into two sections, Section 1 provides essential background information on the political and postal history of Malaysia since 1945, innovative biographical information of personalities on Malayan stamps, basic philatelic background information and postal rate information from 1945 till the latest postal rate revision in 2005. Together with the useful notes and cross-referencing, this section will significantly assist in building and writing up a meaningful collection of modern Malaya and Malaysia.

Section 2 deals with the individual philatelic items, together with handy checklists/summaries after every item described, listed by S.G./I.S.C. or H & G/I.S.C. numbers. Starting with the 1948 definitive issues, the stamps themselves are comprehensively described with requisition and release dates and much as yet unpublished new information on the varieties. This is followed by descriptions of the postcards, envelopes, registration envelopes and aerogrammes. The BMA enthusiast is not left out because there is new information (with colour illustrations) on the first unstamped BMA aerogrammes.
The 1957 definitive issues are then described starting with exhaustive information on the federal issues followed by the individual state issues encompassing the stamps, postcards, the envelopes, the registration envelopes and the aerogrammes.
The special issues are also described beginning from the unissued 1946 Victory until the 1963 Cameron Highlands commemoratives, and include the installation issues of Negri Sembilan, Selangor and Kelantan as well as the unissued Negri Sembilan Silver Jubilee stamp.
One chapter is devoted to the revenue stamps (including the Singapore 1948 Revenue Issue) with intriguing descriptions and colour illustrations of the rarely seen Johore, Kelantan and Trengganu $250 revenues.
The concluding chapter deals with all the Malayan Union postage due labels from 1936 onwards.
The index to volume I is in four separate parts viz. chronological, by subject and theme, by type of material and by designer.

The breadth and depth of information provided in Len’s new book makes this a handy and valuable reference work. It is a ‘must’ for collectors of modern Malaya and Malaysia but collectors of earlier periods would also find it a valuable source of knowledge especially for cross-reference purposes. This attractive addition to one’s philatelic bookshelf is now available from Bill Pain or the Malaya Study Group national representatives in Australia, Malaysia and Singapore.