Starchild: Malaysian children love receiving letters from their postmen

Jayden Tan Li Sheng, 9

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ITEM: In less than a month, it’s back to school again, kids. Have you bought your new school bag, school books and stationery? What about your uniform and school shoes? Starchild wants to know how you are getting ready for the new school year ahead. Remember to draw a colourful picture, too!

E-mail your contributions to [e-mail] by Dec 31. Please put “STARCHILD: “Back To School” in the subject line of your email.

Scanned drawings should be in jpeg format, with a resolution of 200 dpi. Your contributions must carry your full name, age (open to children aged 12 and below only), gender, phone contact and address.

Instead of handwritten letters, please type out your letters.

The postman travels around the neighbourhood on his motorcycle to deliver mail. Rain or shine, the postman has to get his job done.

At times, Mr Postman is greeted by barking dogs. Sometimes, the poor postman could even be chased by fierce dogs.

Let’s find out what Starchild readers think about their postmen:

Debria Preethi Jeyarajah, 10

Debria Preethi Jeyarajah, 10, thinks the job of a postman is demanding and tiring. “The postman has to rise early to get the letters sorted for the day before he is out to deliver them. He will need a motorcycle, helmet and letters. He would have to travel far and wide if he needs to deliver the letters. Sometimes, he could make a wrong turn and arrive at the wrong place, then he needs to look for the correct address to deliver the mail.”

Bethany Wang Qi Syuen, 6

Six-year-old Bethany Wang Qi Syuen thinks the postman’s work is essential and somewhat dangerous. “I imagine a postman’s biggest fear is encountering fearsome dogs who may bark or chase their bikes when they carry out their tasks. Each working day, a postman has to collect, sort and deliver letters, bills or important documents to many houses under the hot sun.”

Jodie Tan Li Juen, 12

Jodie Tan Li Juen, 12, writes: “Mr Postman, I feel grateful as you are ensuring that our post gets delivered and important packages are received when shops are closed during the pandemic. Despite the current challenges, you continue to work to get important letters delivered without delay. Thank you and I pray for your safety when you are at work.”

Jayden Tan Li Sheng, nine, “Thank you, Mr Postman for delivering letters and parcels to my house in rainy and hot weather. I see that you have a mail carrier, in which I guess you have a lot of mail. Each day after returning from school, I will look forward to opening the mailbox. I am very happy and thankful for your efficiency in delivering our mail.”

Claire Yap Jyn Wei, 6

The postman’s job is to send letters to friends, cousins, grandpas or whomever the letter is addressed to. A letter will need a stamp and address to reach the recipient. I have sent letters with photographs to my friends,” writes Claire Yap Jyn Wei, six.

Sophie Yap Jyn Qing, 8

Mandy Tang, 5

Older sibling Sophie Yap Jyn Qing, eight, thinks postmen are essential workers. “If there were no postmen, then we wouldn’t be able to send parcels to people. We sometimes get letters from our cousin in Singapore.”

Chloe Leong Xizhen, 8

Wong Zhi Ying, 7

Wong Zhi Ying, seven, says: “Postmen are brave, strong and hardworking. I hope all postmen stay safe during the pandemic.” - Compiled by Sheela Chandran

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