JELEBU: Aidilfitri celebrations remained one of the fondest memories for retired postman, Shahidin Omar, 71.
Serving as a postman in the 80s for Pos Malaysia, Shahidin, who currently resides in Kampung Kampai, said most Eid greetings were sent through cards, making him one of the most anticipated figures.
As Eid approached, Shahidin said he had to deliver hundreds of greeting cards sent by the public to their friends and loved ones.
"At that time, whoever was on duty would be busier because the cards had to be delivered to the recipients on time.
It was overwhelming back then because at that time, there were only four postmen at the Kuala Klawang Post Office, so when Eid arrived, we had to work until late afternoon," he said in an interview with Harian Metro.
In the beginning, Shahidin said all letters were delivered using bicycles before Pos Malaysia switched to motorcycles in the 1980s.
Known as 'OCPD' among friends and residents around Kuala Klawang, Shahidin said with the limited number of postal staff, the Eid cards that arrived had to be manually sorted, in addition to various types of letters and official mail.
He said the main challenge during the delivery process was when many houses were not numbered, sometimes only using general addresses like in front of a shop, in front of a mosque, and so on.
He added that some letters or Eid cards would usually be left at focal points in a village.
When the greeting cards arrived late, Shahidin usually bore the brunt of it, but he never took it to heart.
"Yes, I was scolded by the public, especially when Eid cards arrived late," he said.
Couples in love were actually the ones eagerly awaiting Eid cards because that was the cheapest and fastest communication at that time.
As times changed, Eid cards seemed to be disappearing, and there was no longer any announcement from Pos Malaysia regarding the deadline for sending Eid cards.
Shahidin had previously served in the military for five years before deciding to quit and apply for a job as a postman in 1978.
Shahidin said he retired as a postman in 2004 at the age of 50.