A Malaysian postal service employee holds a seal featuring a monkey on Jan 26, 2016. The country’s postal service launched a set of stamps featuring monkeys in celebration of the upcoming Year of the Monkey. [Photo/Xinhua]

Malaysia's post company has launched a set of stamps featuring monkeys in celebration of the upcoming "Year of the Monkey."

Many philatelic fans lined up early at the post headquarters in Kuala Lumpur on Jan 26, the first day of sale, to get a hand on the stamps and related philatelic items.

The collection features illustrations of four primate species which could be found in the Malaysian forest, namely the silvered leaf monkey, macaque, white-handed gibbon, and agile gibbon.

Post Malaysia's chief executive Shukrie Mohd Salleh said the Year of the Monkey "signifies wisdom, loyalty, innovation and leadership quality."

Chinese around the globe will celebrate the Spring Festival in February, which heralds the Year of the Monkey.