MALAYSIAN AGRO DEFINITIVE STAMP ISSUE: 1986

My research and study on this interesting topic includes:
1. The perforation, watermark, colour shift and gum varieties
2. The understanding of the sudden increase in varieties available

The Stamps

The Malaysian 1986 Agricultural Definitive Stamp Issue is the longest running issue of the modern Malaysian stamp issues since the first issue of the Orchid series on 15th November 1965.


Lately there has been a number of variations recorded in this interesting series. These include watermark varieties (inverted), shade, paper, colour shifts, gum variations and also perforation differences. Apart from the original perforation of 12 x 12, the other perforation varieties discovered to date are:

These perforation varieties are mostly recorded on the most used values being the 5 cents, 10 cents, 20 cents and 30 cents values. The 15 cents value is less often used and the last printing recorded on this value is on Plate 8A. The 2 cents value have been recorded with perforation 14.75 x 14.5 for the states of Perak and Kelantan. The 1 cent value however have been recorded with perfoaration 13.5 x 13.75 for the states of Terengganu and Pahang.


As the Postal Department Malaysia has submitted to the authorities the proposal to increase the current postage rates and to introduce a new definitive stamp issue, and coupled with the enormous printings of the current commemorative issues, the current definitive stamps for each state are printed in small and on ad hoc quantities and sequences. Some printings lately have been known to survive only for very short periods of time; some not even exceeding a period of two months. This has helped in the dramatic appreciation in price of these stamps especially those in plate blocks.


The usefulness of the plate blocks will help to identify the different printings and perforation varieties. As a complete sheet of 100 stamps will only produce 4 plate blocks and together with the current post office practice to tear off the margins before selling at the counter (to reduce littering as most customers tear off the margins anyway before they paste the stamps on to the letters), plate blocks are indeed rare and in short supply.


In order to allow others to have an opportunity to own these illusive issues, I list below the interesting varieties from the 1986 Malaysian Agro Definitive State Issues which I have for sale. I list them according to the states and values.

Currently, Malaysia consists of 14 states:

For orders contact me at syburi@hotmail.com

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This page was last updated on 30 September 1998

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