Old Pos Malaysia at Bukit Rotan, Kuala Selangor
One of the charms of Malaysia is our variety of old colonial buildings with European or Moorish-style architecture. We know most of their names by heart too, such as Penang’s City Hall and Sultan Abdul Samad Building that’ve become attractions for tourists and locals alike.
This is why a Pos Malaysia branch in Kuala Selangor that occupies a traditional Malay house is a nostalgic and rare sight you might just miss out on if you don’t look closely enough.
Post office in a charming, traditional Malay house
It’s safe to say that most of us won’t turn our heads when asked to look at a Pos Malaysia branch. Most are now located in malls and newer buildings for our convenience, which means the saying “if you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all” often applies to this local courier.
But you’ll probably want to make a pit-stop for this Pos Malaysia branch in Bukit Rotan if you find yourself driving an hour out from KL for cheap seafood or to catch sights of fireflies in Kuala Selangor.
It’s located just off the roadside and behind Sri Shakti Temple, also an attraction in this cosy town. If not for the signs outside that read Pos Malaysia and Pos Laju, it looks like any other traditional Malay house hiding out in a kampung that still sits on stilts.
You’ll even have to take off your shoes to walk up the stairs to enter this post office. The stairs are one of several key hallmarks of a traditional Malay house, and will have you feeling as if you’re walking into a house rather than a post office too.
Image credit: @amaalw
It’s also fully operational, unlike many historic post offices in Malaysia that have since been converted into museums or government buildings. The only kicker is that you won’t find any machines to get a queue number. You just have to line up like the old days and wait your turn to send off postcards and mail at the only multi-service counter located here.
Strictly no shoes inside!
Image credit: Rosnah Abd Rahman
But you’ll get to enjoy views of the traditional kampung house that was built while the British were in power while waiting to buy your stamps. Most of the wooden structures, floors, window shutters, and pillars here remain as they were when the house was new.
One of the oldest post offices in Malaysia
The Bukit Rotan post office is on the bottom row, second from right
Image credit: Stampjoy/Hazel Design Sdn Bhd
Pos Malaysia released a series of stamps back in 2010 to commemorate 28 old post offices out of 703 found in Malaysia at the time. The one in Bukit Rotan is included, as its construction had been completed before World War II.
It had been operating as a post office since 1924, which means that this post office has been fully operational for a whopping 94 years, making it worthy of inclusion in the historic stamp set.
Image credit: @pos4you
According to a report by Free Malaysia Today, the oldest post office in Malaysia can be found in Taiping, Perak. It was built in 1884, and has been operating as a museum since 2018.
Pos Malaysia in a traditional Kuala Selangor Malay house
We have seen our share of old buildings crumbling away in the city. This is why we’re happy to see old heritage buildings that are distinctly Malaysian, such as this Pos Malaysia branch in a traditional Malay house, still standing tall. It certainly shows that we can make way for the new while also preserving the old.
Visit Pos Malaysia at Bukit Rotan at the following address:
Address: JKR 136A, Jalan Besar, 45700 Bukit Rotan
Opening hours: 8.30AM-5.30PM, Daily
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Cover image credit: @amaalw (on the right)