Villagers get creative to preserve letterbox legacy

BATU PAHAT: In the good old days, the petite, red-coloured, square letterbox was an important component in every household, but its importance diminished over time as we began adopting digital technologies in our lives.

However, residents of Kampung Belahan Tampok in Rengit here have found a novel way to preserve its legacy by organising a competition to design the most creative letterbox.

Mohd Azrai Ahmad, who initiated the competition in 2013, said the contestants were given time from September to the middle of December to complete their creations.

From around 200 entries received each year, only 30 best letterboxes were selected for the next round before the final judging by a group of postmen and members of the Kumpulan Penduduk Kampung Belahan Tampok Facebook group.

“I never thought that the villagers would be so creative and innovative in using old tyres, pipes, fans, ovens and even washing machines to produce letterboxes of various designs and shapes, including a keris, kuda kepang, tree stump, central processing unit, army tank, helicopter and motorcycle.

“I am proud because this competition has earned the recognition of Pos Malaysia although we started this as a hobby and activity for the locals,” he said here yesterday.

One of the contestants, Idris Mohammad, 53, said he created three designs this year — a helicopter, an army tank and an oven — with each creation taking about two weeks to complete at a cost of RM100 to RM150.

“My intention was to use recycled items, but now it has become a source of income as well as I have started receiving orders from third parties.

“At least this competition will attract the interest of the community, including the younger generation, to fill their spare time with useful activities.” — Bernama

Source: NST