The GPO, which operated from Bangunan Tuanku Syed Putra since 1962, officially shuttered on April 2.

Out front, simple notices direct customers to the Komtar branch, now the new GPO about 2km away. A Pos Malaysia spokesperson told FMT that since fewer people had been using the post office, it was no longer practical to keep it open.

For Marcus Langdon, the closure marks the end of a postal legacy dating back nearly two centuries. The historian, who has written several books on George Town, shared that Lebuh Downing – or Downing Street – once had three post-office buildings, each on a different corner.

Together, they made the street the centre of communication for letters, telegrams, money matters, and government affairs since the days of the East India Company.

He said the first post office on Downing Street, dating back to the mid-1800s, had been located on the site of today’s HSBC building.

In 1904, a new post office opened in the Weld Quay corner of the large U-shaped government office complex that also encompassed Downing Street and King Edward Place. That building was partially destroyed during World War II.

After the war, postal services were moved to a Japanese-built godown on Light Street, beside Fort Cornwallis, which became the GPO for about 10 years.

Langdon said Penang played a major role in regional communications during the colonial era, acting as a postal agent not just for the Malayan peninsula but also for places like Sumatra.

“Mail from these regions would come through Penang before heading to destinations further afield,” he explained.

Even letters from Europe would often pass through Penang before making their way down to Singapore. “You’d find old envelopes with postmarks showing ‘Penang to Singapore’ – a clear sign that Penang wasn’t just handling its own mail but was part of a larger transit network.”

This central role made Downing Street the epicentre of postal activity. “It wasn’t just a local post office – it was a gateway. People would wait for the mail ships to arrive and rush to post letters before the ships departed.

“Before the days of steamships, everything depended on the monsoon winds, so the GPO’s activity followed seasonal sailing patterns,” Langdon added.

As the volume of mail increased after the war, the need for a larger, more modern post office became clear. During the planning of the new government complex i.e. Bangunan Tuanku Syed Putra, special consideration was given to housing the GPO.

Subsequently, the general post office officially opened its doors on Downing Street on June 15, 1962.

The new post office was a major upgrade, according to an August 1962 report in the Straits Times. It featured a raised floor to ease mail handling, and a public hall with 18 counters.

There was also a dedicated section for telegraph services and public enquiries, and two automatic stamp vending machines: the first of their kind in the country. More than 1,000 private post boxes were provided in a separate enclosure.

The interior, praised at the time as a “symphony of colour”, was considered one of the most modern in the region, the report read.

By the early 1960s, the GPO was handling over 85,000 items of mail, up from 60,000 in 1955. It became an essential part of post-independence Malaya’s growing communications and trade network.

The GPO also served as a bank for the common man. It was home to the Post Office Savings Bank (POSB), a government-backed savings institution used by many, especially before the rise of commercial banks.

During its busiest years, the GPO was always packed with people. Queues would stretch out the doors, especially around Hari Raya, when people sent out greeting cards by the hundreds.

Noor Azam Yakub, 60, who has been selling apam balik from his cart just outside the building for the past 30 years, said he was shocked and saddened to see the post office close down.

“The queue at the GPO used to take more than half an hour. People did everything, from renewing driving licences to sending money orders.”

But in more recent years, the post office had seen fewer and fewer visitors. “These days, the moment you press for a number, your turn would come immediately. That’s how empty the post office had become before it closed,” he told FMT.

Azam also recalled how tourists from cruise ships would head straight to the GPO to send postcards home.

While he has accepted the fact that people now pay bills and send greetings online, he feels the post office still has value.

“This place is history. Even my cart is called Apam Balik Pos. It should have been preserved as a museum, at least,” he concluded.