KUALA LUMPUR, March 16 — Greeting cards may seem like relics of the past, as most of us now send festive wishes through GIFs and stickers on our mobile phones.
However, some Malaysians continue the tradition of writing greeting cards to royal families both here and abroad as part of their annual Hari Raya Aidilfitri ritual. In return, the royal families almost always write back!
Primary school teacher Hafizul Syarafi Mohd Noor, 35, has been diligently doing this since 2017 and cherishes every card he receives in return, especially those from the Johor palace.
“My relatives and friends are not very enthusiastic about writing greeting cards. But, the royals will almost always write back because the palaces have dedicated teams to handle all royal correspondence.
“One of my most treasured greeting card is from the Sultan of Johor because although I am not a Johor native, this is my second home since I got married and live here now,” the Sarawak-born teacher said.
Hafizul usually sends the greeting cards via postal service to the palaces a week before Ramadan starts. According to him, doing so ensures that he receives a return card from the palaces before their set quota for greeting cards runs out.
“Keeping the greeting cards tradition alive is my way of supporting the greeting card industry while expressing my gratitude to the rulers,” he said.
While wishing for the wellbeing of the royal families in his cards, Hafizul said he even asks for duit raya from them in jest — but luck hasn’t favoured him yet.
Muhammad Azim Azizan sends out at least 1,000 Hari Raya greeting cards every year. — Picture courtesy of Muhammad Azim Azizan
Similarly, 27-year-old Muhammad Azim Azizan from Jitra, Kedah, sends out at least 1,000 Raya greeting cards each Ramadan to his friends, relatives, political leaders, and royal families.
His most distant and treasured recipients are the Sultan of Brunei and his family.
Over the past seven years, Azim has spent more than RM5,000 on his hobby and has received nearly 1,500 greeting cards from various dignitaries.
“Even the postman is surprised at the amount of Raya cards that he delivers to my house,” Azim said, laughing.
Azim, who has been sending festive greeting cards to friends and relatives since childhood, began writing to royals in 2017 after joining the “Geng Pengumpul Kad Hari Raya” group on Facebook.
The group, which currently has around 1,900 members, is a community of avid royal family followers who share their experiences of writing to the palaces and the replies they’ve received.
When asked about his enthusiasm for writing to the Brunei royal court, Azim said: “The Brunei royal family has never failed to write back to me, even after the Syawal month is over.”
For Azwan Asyrani, sending greeting cards to royal families during the festive season is a personal passion that goes beyond his work as a postman.
Azwan Asyrani usually conveys his Raya wishes in the form of pantun. — Picture courtesy of Azwan Asyrani
Azwan, 34, shared that he typically conveys his Ramadan and Raya wishes in the form of pantun (Malay poems) and sends the cards before the 10th day of Ramadan.
“I always look forward to receiving cards from His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, the King of Malaysia and Sultan of Johor.
“His Majesty used to personally sign every card delivered from the Johor Palace instead of using a computer-generated signature, which made his recipients feel special,” he said.
Similarly, healthcare assistant Mohmad Hissam Mazali, 40, has been sending Raya cards to palaces across the country and Brunei for close to 15 years now.
Hissam first wrote to the former Yang Di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin, in 2009 after seeing his aunt receive a Raya card from the royal palace the year before.
As a proud Johor native, Hissam’s fascination with the Johor royalty inspired him to set up a gallery called Pustaka Warisan Temenggung in 2000 at his ancestral home in Muar.
The gallery showcases everything he has collected about the Johor royalty, including pictures, newspaper and magazine clippings, and books.
“As a Johor boy, the Raya card that I always wait for is from Istana Bukit Serene, Johor. The Johor royalty has always been very unique.
“I also get to meet Sultan Ibrahim and the royal family every year during the Kembara Mahkota Johor programme,” he said.
Mohmad Hissam Mazali with a Christmas card he received from King Charles III (left) and a Raya greeting card from His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, the King of Malaysia. — Picture courtesy of Mohmad Hissam Mazali
Hissam also sends Christmas greeting cards to Buckingham Palace. He treasures the cards he received from the late Queen Elizabeth II and her successor, King Charles III.
“I usually send the Christmas cards to them in early December via Pos Malaysia, and I receive their reply cards in early February,” he said, adding that he has been doing this since 2013.
