INTRODUCTION

Many nations' post offices operated or continue to operate postal savings systems to provide depositors who do not have access to banks a safe, a convenient method to save money and to promote saving among the poor.

The first nation to offer such an arrangement was Great Britain in 1861. It was vigorously supported by Sir Rowland Hill, who successfully advocated the penny post, and William Ewart Gladstone, then Chancellor of the Exchequer, who saw it as a cheap way to finance the public debt. At the time, banks were mainly in the cities and largely catered to wealthy customers. Rural citizens and the poor had no choice but to keep their funds at home or on their persons.

A postal savings card was a form of war bond used in Japan and some of her occupied territories. The customer bought stamps until the card was filled up at which time it was turned in to the post office. In theory they paid out interest.

Savers accumulated postal savings stamps in denominations of 10 cents. The stamps were then be pasted onto deposit cards and once full redeemed (by means of transfer) into to a proper book.

Postal Savings Card

The card is a brown-cream in colour.. Other colours are known to exist: blue, orange and purple.

Purple handstamp cachet: Return to Depositor.

On the reverse, a manuscript: Tg. Bungah Gakkō
Probably was issued to a school student, at it refers to Tanjong Bungah School ( が っ こ う )

The card's owner name was Foo Chee Lim.

Postmark 2, 3 & 4

Black, on the stamps
 

郵 政 局 昭 金 2604 11 1 マ ラ イ ・ ク ア ラ ・ ラ ン プ ー ル

1 November 2604 (1944 AD) Kuala Lumpur, Marai.
金 on line 2 is only an assumption.

郵 政 局 = Postal Service
ク ア ラ   ラ ン プ ー ル  = Kuala Lumpur

Postmark 1 (Issuing Office)

Blue, on right side
 

ペナン 為替貯金 2604 10 28 マライ

28 October 2604 (1944 AD), Penang.

ペ ナ ン  = Penang
為 替 貯 金  = exchange savings.

Stamps

Ten stamps of definitive series were used. Five vertical pairs and therefore it is assumed that all these stamps were stick together at once.

10 cents stamp depicts Malay fishing village.

Obverse
 

•	マ ラ イ 郵 便 切 手 貯 金 臺 紙					〒
	TABONGAN WANG, KERAJA'AN DAI NIPPON, MALAI.
郵 局 儲 金 　 便 利 稳 固				Buku Si-Penyimpan. Pejabat  yang  menge- luarkan ............. ..................... Nombor  Buku  .......		胸 に 大 詔 　 誓 っ て 貯 金
				Chap haribulan Pejabat Pos yang menerima stem2.
	姓　名      Nama dengan penoh ........................................
Tabonglah Wang untok keuntongan      diri dan kemenangan negeri. சிக்கனமாய்  சீவித்து  சேவீங்ஸ்  பாங்கிற்  சேமித் தால்  சிறப்புடன்  வாழலாம்  பீற்கால  சீவியத்தில்

Chinese text on the left of the card is: 郵局儲金　便利稳固 which translate as Postal Savings, convenient and stable.

Reverse
 

1. Kad ini boleh-lah di-dapati di-mana2      Pejabat Pos dengan tiada ada kena      bayaran. 2. Apabila satu kad sudah penoh di-tampal      dengan sepuloh sen stem, hendak-lah      di-serahkan di-Pejabat Pos (bersama2      dengan buku Tabongan Wang jika      ada) bagai simpanan. 3. Faedah-nya dalam satahun ia-lah tiga      peratus. 4.Tabongan Wang dalam Malai di-jamin     oleh Keraja'an Nippon.

障 セ ラ レ ラ イ マ ス 。

▽ 「 マ ラ イ 」 ノ 郵 便 貯 金 ハ 、 日 本 政 府 ニ ヨ リ 保

▽ 利 子 ハ 年 三 分 デ ス 。

局 ニ 差 出 シ テ 下 サ イ 。

帳 ヲ オ モ チ ノ 方 ハ 、 ソ レ ト 一 シ ョ ニ  ͜ 郵 便

▽ コ ノ 臺 紙 ニ 十 仙 ノ 切 手 ヲ 十 枚 ハ リ ͡ 貯 金 通

上 ゲ マ ス 。

▽ コ ノ 臺 紙 ハ 、 郵 便 局 デ 希 望 ノ 方 ニ 無 料 で 差

It might be worth noting that the item is described as a 'book' (Buku Si-Penyimpan = Saver's Book) on the front, but as 'card' (Kad) on the back. Both the Japanese and Malay texts speak of submitting the card with the Savings Book if available.

There is 'Issuing Office: Penang', and under the 'CDS of Post Office receiving these stamps' there is a manuscript '569c Tanjong Bungah' (which is in Penang.)

The Malay instructions on the back are basically the same as the Japanese text.