Two "Sayang Sekali" postal cards

For readers who are not familiar with Malay, Sayang Sekali translates into What a pity.

Some of us would have items like these. Very nice covers or postcards or postal cards with stamps removed which drastically reduces their value and desirability. Nonetheless I still feel that the following 2 items are worth having.

There is a rather beautiful Lahat Datu D3 cancellation in violet and a Sandakan transit mark 2 days later. Surprisingly it took another 12 days including the 6-7 days getting there before it was dispatched from Singapore. Perhaps it was waiting for a ship bound for Hamburg where it was received at the post office on 6.1.04. The missing adhesive would probably be a 3c stamp of the British Protectorate issue to make up the concurrent 4c postcard rate to postal union countries. Anyone who has this particular stamp with the matching postmark, please please let me have it.

The name Oscar Kluge has been seen on several items of correspondence. He was probably working there possibly at one of the plantations. Someday, I hope this letter can be translated. I have a couple of items like this in German as well as a few in Dutch.

There are two Sayang Sekali reasons here. Again we have a 3c stamp removed for a card to Leipzip in Germany. The postmark is not clear but it is likely to be Sandakan 15 JA 1902. It was sent by the Government Telegraph Operator at Mempakol or Mempakul but posted when he was visiting Sandakan. The second reason is if it were sent from Mempakul, we would have a very valuable item if intact. The content of the letter was very interesting and I hope he was only ordering medical supplies. I do not know why crayon marks were made.

Mempakul was important as sub station for the telegraph line from Labuan en route to Sandakan. This telegraph was also extended to Kudat and Jesselton. Labuan was connected to Hong Kong and Singapore.