+ Issue Date     : 26/01/2016
+ Classification : Postage Stamp
+ Emission       : Special
+ Designer       : Reign Associates Sdn Bhd (Artist: Lim Kooi Yong)
+ Printer        : Cartor Security Printing
+ Printing       : Lithography
+ Paper          : Phosphorized / Phospor Coated
+ Perforations   : 14
+ Separations    : Normal Perforations
+ Gum Type       : Gum
+ Shape          : Rectangular
+ Orientation    : Vertical

Primates of Malaysia Series II

The Malaysian rainforest is a bio diverse landscape that is home to a total of 19 species of primates. These include the great apes such as orang utans, lesser apes such as gibbons, and a variety of old world monkeys such as macaques, leaf monkeys and proboscis monkeys. The tropical climate of the country features uniform temperature, high humidity and copious rainfall, offering the perfect sanctuary for these primates. Primates are recognised by a suite of morphological characteristics such as having a larger brain relative to its body size, stereoscopic vision and grasping hands and feet, as well as behavioural traits such as grooming and allomothering, or social caring of the young by those other than the biological mother.

In the second continuation of the Primates of Malaysia series, four distinctive species of primates are presented that are part of Malaysia natural heritage - Agile Gibbon, Macaque, Silvered Leaf Money and White-handed Gibbon.

Acknowledgements: 
Junaidi Omar, Head of Educational Department, Zoo Negara Malaysia
Jabatan PERHILITAN

YEAR OF THE MONKEY

In the Chinese zodiac, the Monkey ranks 9th in the 12 zodiac animals. The Year of the Monkey will start from February 8, 2016 (Chinese New Year) and last to January 27, 2017. 2016 being the year of the FIre Monkey is said to be a year of optimism, cheerfulness and a great year to enhance family ties.

Miniature Sheet RM3 + RM3

It features fluorescent ink printing.

Ungka Tangan Hitam (Agile Gibbon)
Hylobates agilis

The agile gibbon, also known as the black-handed gibbon or dark-handed gibbon, has fur that varies from light tan to brown or black. It has an unmistakable facial feature with white eyebrows. Agile gibbons form monogamous bonds, staying together after mating to form a family with an average size of four in a group. After a gestation period of seven months, females give birth to a single offspring. They will care for their offspring until the young gibbon is two years of age. Offspring continue to stay with their parents until they reach sexual maturity at the age of eight years, which they will disperse to look for mates. Agile gibbons are found in Peninsular Malaysia, Southern Thailand and Sumatra, Indonesia.

Stamp 60 sen

Beruk (Macaque)
Macaca nemestrina

The macaque has light brown on its body, white fur on its underside, and dark brown or black hair on the top of its head. Males can be recognised by the mane-like hair around their faces. As skilled climbers, macaques are traditionally trained by farmers to retrieve coconuts and other fruits from trees. They pluck coconuts by twisting the fruit from the stem using their hands and feet. Each macaque is capable of harvesting between 500 and 1,000 coconuts a day. Highly intelligent, macaques are also trained to choose coconuts based on their ripening stages. Macaques are found in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, Bangladesh, India and China.

Stamp 70 sen

Lotong Kelabu (Silvered Leah Monkey)
Trachypithecus cristatus

The silvered leaf money also known as silvery luting or silvery langur, has a dark-skinned face with brown or black silver-tipped fur, giving it the characteristic silvery appearance. The hands and feet of these long-tailed monkeys are hairless and black in colour. In contrast, newborn silvered leaf monkeys have bright orange fur and white-coloured face, hands and feet. Their skin colour changes to black within a few days of birth, and their orange fur changes to the darker colours of the adults after three to five months. Like other primates, females nurse their offspring after birth. Silvered leaf monkeys are found in Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and Thailand.

Stamp 80 sen

Ungka Tangan Putih (White-handed Gibbon)
Hylobates lar

The white-handed gibbon, also known as par gibbon, has a distinct white fur that surrounds it black face and covers the upper sides of its hands and feet. White-handed gibbons vary in colours, ranging from light cream to dark brown or black based on genetic inheritance. Possessing long arms, white-handed gibbons are remarkably fast and agile in seining from branch to branch. This method of locomotion is known as brachiation (swinging from to limb to tree limb) and is their primary mode of travel besides walking, running, climbing and leaping. White-handed gibbons are found in Peninsular Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and Sumatra, Indonesia.