Selangor (Straits Settlements) Masjid Jamek Sultan Suleiman

In 1934 SELANGOR (Straits Settlements in British Malaya) issued a series of stamps commemorating the then-State mosque, Masjid Jamek Sultan Suleiman. The mosque was officially opened in that year whereas the cornerstone was set in 1932. At least 15 stamps of various denomination and colour, as well as three stamps of the Selangor ruler Sultan Suleiman, was released in 1934-35. Pictured here are 12 of those stamps. 

Perforated versions, in the shape of an arch, of the Masjid Jamek Sultan Suleiman stamps also exist, and these stamps command a premium price amongst philatelists.

During the Japanese occupation of Malaya in World War II (1942-1945) the Masjid Jamek Sultan Suleiman stamps, as well as other stamps in the Straits Settlements, feature an overwrite, stating ither in Japanese or Roman script, "Dai Nippon" (Japan is Great).

So, why the interest in these colonial-era stamps? It's like this, Masjid Jamek Sultan Suleiman and I have a personal history. When I embraced Islam (in 1987) it was one of the first mosques, if not the first mosque, where I performed my Jama'ah prayers. My wife and I prayed here regularly on Thursday afternoons during her pregnancy. And it was this mosque where our daughter first walked, ran and played.

Later, in the early 1990s, I wrote an article about Masjid Jamek Sultan Suleiman. I was so fascinated with its Art-Deco-Islamic architecture -- the only mosque to my knowledge in Malaysia -- I simply had  to find out more about its history. Eventually Malaysia Airlines   published the article in their in-flight magazine "Wings of Gold".

Although I no longer reside in Klang, and hence rarely visit this mosque, it remains amongst one of my favourite places of worship. It also summons up many wonderful memories of a simpler, more peaceful time for me.