Chung Ling gets a ‘stamp’ of honour

Limited edition: Chung Ling High School student Christina Chin Kai Qi, 19, looking at a poster of the commemorative stamps and first day cover at the school’s centennial celebration in Penang.

GEORGE TOWN: Three Chung Ling school buildings in Penang are now featured on stamps and first day covers in the latest philatelic series issued by Pos Malaysia.

The honour for Chung Ling High School, Chung Ling Private School and Chung Ling Butterworth was to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Chung Ling High School, founded in 1917 as a primary school.

Pos Malaysia Group CEO Datuk Mohd Shukrie Mohd Salleh said the stamps, first day cover, miniature sheets and folders are limited to 238,500 pieces, 45,000 pieces, 38,500 pieces and 7,900 pieces respectively.

“The number of the stamps and first day covers was limited to ensure the collection value, and Pos Malaysia will not reprint the series,” he said in a press conference after the launching of the philatelic series at Chung Ling High School in Air Itam here yesterday.

There are three types of stamps in the collection – 85sen, portraying the Chung Ling High School building, 95sen stamp featuring Chung Ling Private School building and RM1.05, which features the Chung Ling Butterworth school building.

There are two types of first day cover, one with the stamps of the three schools, and the other one features the Chung Ling High School old school building.

The miniature sheets have the Chung Ling High School old building printed on them.

Mohd Shukrie said the miniature sheet is sold at RM5 per piece, with features the embossed school badge, and the folder, which comprises the complete set of stamps, miniature sheet and first day covers, priced at RM81.45 (inclusive of GST).

“All the stamps and miniature sheets were also printed with the school’s bell shape logo and the school theme ‘Ai Wu Zhong Ling’ (Love My Chung Ling),” he said.

He said the stamps and first day covers are available at post offices throughout the country while stocks last.

Three other educational institutions – Penang Free School, Universiti Malaya and Malay College Kuala Kangsar – also had their own commemorative stamps during their centenary celebrations.

Penang Free School had the commemorative stamps twice, in 1966 to mark their 150th anniversary and again last year, their 200th anniversary.

Chung Ling High School Board of Governors chairman Datuk Koay Hean Eng said the school was honoured to be the first Chinese high school in the country to have its own centenary stamps.

“This is a meaningful and priceless honour,” he said during the 100th anniversary celebration yesterday.

Malaysia Chung Ling Alumni Federation president Datuk Low Keng Kok urged the Chung Ling alumni to contribute to the school.

The school board also presented tokens of appreciation to board members who had served for more than 30 years.

Former Penang Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon and former Penang Island City Council secretary Datuk Ang Aing Thye, who are alumni of Chung Ling High School, were also present.