Kedah

Kedah is a state of Malaya (later Malaysia) in the northeastern part of the country.

Early postal services

 * Thailand claimed Kedah for many years. In 1883, the first Thai post office was opened in Kedah at Alor Star using Thai-style cancels reading "KEDAH", "KUALA MUDA", "KULIM", or "LANGKAWI". In July 1909, control of Kedah was given to Great Britain.
 * In July 1909, Malayan Federation stamps (leaping tiger and elephants designs) were used in Kedah recognizable by cancels: Alor Star, Kulim (including the old Thai bilingual cancel), Jitra, Kuala Muda, Langkawi, Lunas, Semiling, Sungei Patani, or Yen.



Kedah state
 File:Kedah sheaf engr.jpg|1912 3c value File:Kedah $5 engraved.jpg|1912 $5 value File:Kedah Mal Bor Exh.jpg|1922 Malaya-Borneo Exhibition; a rather dry overprint here File:Kedah 50c old guy.jpg|1937 50c value 
 * In 1912, definitives in three different engraved designs were issued.
 * In 1919-20, new values and colors were issued.
 * In 1919, two surcharge values were issued.
 * In 1921-32, the previous definitives were issue on multiple script CA watermarked paper.
 * In 1922, stamps were overprinted MALAYA- / BORNEO / EXHIBITION.
 * In 1922-40, new values and colors were issued.
 * In 1937, a set of engraved designs with the portrait of Abdul Halim Halimshah was issued.

Japanese occupation
 File:Kedah 5c dai nippon.jpg File:Kedah 2602 ovpt.jpg 
 * In 1942-43, various stamps were overprinted DAI NIPPON / 2602.

Post World War II issues
In 1948, Kedah became a Malayan state.  File:Kedah 10c sheaf typo.jpg|1950 10c value File:Kedah 30c.jpg|1955 30c value File:Kedah view weaving.jpg|1962 $5 Abdul Halim pictorial 
 * 1948 saw the Silver Jubilee omnibus set released followed by the 1949 UPU set.
 * In 1950-55, typographed definitives were rreleased with bilingual inscriptions showing either a sheaf of rice (again) or Sultan Badishah.
 * In 1957, engraved pictorials with the portrait of Tungku Badlishah were released.
 * In 1959, a new Sultan Abdul Halim was installed with a commemorative issued for it.
 * In 1959-62, engraved pictorials with the portrait of Abdul Salim were issued.

Malaysian state
 File:Kedah 10c orchids.jpg|1965 10c orchids File:Kedah butterflies.jpg|1971 2c butterflies File:Kedah 10 flowers I.jpg|1979 10c flowers File:Kedah pepper.jpg|1986 10c pepper 
 * In 1965, an orchids definitive set was released.
 * In 1971, butterfly definitives were released; five values were reissued in photogravure in 1977.
 * In 1979, flower definitives were issued. Two values were reissued in 1984-85 without watermark.
 * In 1983, an Abdul Halim silver jubilee issue was released.
 * In 1986, the agriculture and arms definitives were issued, perf 12. Beginning in 1994, there were various other perf varieties issued.
 * In 2007, a new flowers and and arms issue was released, perf 14x13½. It was re-released in 2016, perf 14.
 * In 2018, a wild orchids set of definitives was issued.