Malaya Patriotic Fund

This cinderella was not used for postage payment but was bought as a surcharge to make a voluntary donation towards Malaya Patriotic Fund that supported the effort of defense of Malaya during the World War II.

Publicity slogan on postal postmark also run and read as follows:
Patriotic Fund Preserves Freedom of Malaya

Four knowns varieties: one without value indicator and three with three different denominations.

Issued in 1940. Exact date of issue unknown.

This particular cinderella is suspected used and removed from original cover.

CONTEMPORARY PUBLICITY

MALAYA PATRIOTIC FUND

Poster Stamps for Correspondence

In the New Year 1940 says the Department of Information, it will be possible to contribute to the Malaya Patriotic Fund in the humblest unit of Malayan currency, for one-cent poster stamps will then be on sale in aid of the Fund.

The general committee of the Malayan Patriotic Fund decided, at its meeting in October, to issue poster stamps. Since the a design has been approved, the first issue of 50,000 printed, and arrangements made with the co-operation of the Posts and Telegraphs Department to sell the stamps at post offices throughout the country.

At first the stamps will be available only in the main post offices, but a second issue of 50,000 is now being printed, and very soon these stamps will be available at all the smaller post offices. For letters posted to addresses overseas this stamp will provide a very striking reminder that in this remote country of the Empire a vigorous drive for war charities is in progress, while on letters circulating within Malaya the stamps will provide excellent publicity for the Patriotic Fund, as well as raise money for it.

The idea is that these stamps should be affixed to letters and parcels as a patriotic gesture, by individuals as well as firms and business, and they will be available at post offices in convenient blocks of a hundred for a dollar.

Apart from the money thus raised for the Malaya Patriotic Fund, by this voluntary surcharge of one cent on postage, the poster stamps by their vivid pictorial appeal will be a constant reminder to the public of the purposes to which the Patriotic Fund is devoted.

On 17 June 1940 the Committee of the Malaya Patriotic Fund announced the issue of Poster Stamps in a more convenient form than previously as follows:

The stamps have been freshly printed in the same design but in a slightly smaller size and in three denominations and colours as follows:-

1 cent (brown) in book of one hundred
2 cents (green) in sheets of fifty
3 cents (blue) in sheets of fifty

It is suggested that the 1 cent denomination should be used by all firms for business letters and the 2 cent denominations for private correspondence. The 5 cent de-luxe edition has been largely suggested by ladies for their own use.

All these varieties are available at the General Post Office and at the Hong Kong and Shanghai, Chartered and Mercantile Banks, but, if so desired may be ordered from the Hon. Secretary of the fund, Mrs. H.G. Baxter, Cairnhill House, Singapore.

As the cost of production is comparatively negligible, the sale of these stamps should ensure a steady contribution to all War Charities.

SOURCE - NEWSPAPER 1

The Straits Times, 18 October 1939, Page 11

MALAYA PATRIOTIC FUND MEETING

The first meeting of the general committee of the Malaya Patriotic Fund is to be held at Government House, Singapore, on Friday, Oct. 27.

To enable this committee to deal with the funds at present held throughout Malaya, it is requested that all sections and committees formed for the purpose of raising money on behalf of the Malaya Patriotic Fund should remit their collections to the honorary treasurers, the Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China, Singapore, to reach them not later than Oct. 25.

SOURCE - NEWSPAPER 2

The Sydney Morning Herald, 27 August 1940

Malaya Patriotic Fund

On the outbreak of war, Lady Thomas, wife of the Governor of the Straits Settlements, called a meeting of representative women with the idea of collecting funds for the purchase of wool and materials for the manufacture of comforts for men at the front. The original committee included Lady Small a Western Australian and the wife of then then Colonial Secretary, and other well-known women, whilst Mrs. H. G. Baxter, also partly Australian, the wife of one of the bankers of the city, was appointed honorary secretary.

There are now nine separate working parties of European, Chinese, Malay, Indian, Arab and Eurasian women, besides many up-country committees. Lady Thomas herself is an expert knitter, and the first sweater was tried on by the Governor. The pyjama patterns were cut from the Governor's pajamas. In all, more than ninety packing-cases of comforts have been despatched and a group of women meet every Thursday at Government House to pack goods.

Way back in the days of the Munich crises a movement was started in Singapore for the enrolment of women for national service. Whether women accustomed to resting several hours of every waking day would be able to stand the strain of eight hours in the confines of a hot office was the question of the moment. A Manpower Bureau was opened and many women with any claim of usefulness offered their services.

With advent of war, some of those who spoke foreign languages and some others were called up for work in the Censor's Bureau for cables and letters. Men and women in these departments work shifts censoring mail in no less than forty-one languages, including twenty-two European languages. Of the balance, the Eastern languages include fifteen Indian such as Tamil, Telegu, Malayalan, Canarses, Urdu, Hindustani, Hindi, Gumerkhji, Punjabi, Persian, Gujerati, Sindhi, Bengali, Orissa and Sylahete. Such in Malaya's polyglot population with Chinese, Japanese, Javanese, Sundanese, Madurese, Malay and Philippine Islands languages.

SOURCE - NEWSPAPER 3

The Central Queensland Herald 25 April 1940

DONATION TO MALAYA PATRIOTIC FUND

SINGAPORE, April 21.

The Singapore office of the Rubber company which owns Malaya's best known Japanese rubber estate has given P1200 to the Malaya Patriotic Fund with the approval of the Tokyo directors. The manager (Mr S. Matsumoto) said: "We are a debt of gratitude to Britain for being permitted to carry on business under her protection and the least we can do is to respond when the need is made known. Our enterprise, far being hindered by war restriction, is progressing well."