The important historical value of Merdeka memorabilia

For collectors such as Tajuddin and Hafidz, one of the most popular Merdeka-era keepsakes is the first day cover series, which showed the new nation's diverse population sharing the joy of independence by mailing first day covers to friends and relatives. Photo: The Star/Filepic

Ten years ago, Tajuddin Idrus, a tour guide and history enthusiast, could not believe his luck when he caught a glimpse of a prized collectible from Malaysia’s past while he was abroad.

Nestled between a stack of old magazines in a vintage store in Brighton, England was a copy of Time magazine dated April 1963. On its cover was Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia’s first Prime Minister. Tajuddin just knew he had to buy the magazine to add to his collection of Malaysian historical memorabilia back home in Kuala Lumpur.