Starchild: Malaysian children love stamps in different shapes and sizes

Asher Wang Qi Chuen, 5

Stamps are not just pieces of paper; they tell little stories. We use postage stamps when we send letters and packages to friends and family. But what makes them extraordinary is the incredible art, history, and culture they represent.

Malaysia has a rich history of stamp production, with each stamp revealing a unique aspect of our culture and heritage. From the colourful wau bulan to historical museums, there could be a stamp for every Malaysian story.

Ong Keat Hsin, 8

Stamps often feature themes such as festivals, wildlife, historical figures, and landmarks. Take a stamp featuring the endangered Malayan tiger, for instance. It’s a reminder of our duty to protect our wildlife. The stories behind stamps are like a window into our nation’s past and present.

Collecting stamps is a hobby that lets you explore the world without leaving your home. You can start your collection with just a few stamps and expand it over time. Visit local post offices, philatelic exhibitions, or even trade with fellow collectors to grow your collection.

A philatelist is a stamp collector. Being a philatelist isn’t just about having a beautiful stamp collection. These stamp enthusiasts love to research the history behind stamps, discover hidden details, and even design their own stamps.

Here are the letters from Starchild readers on the topic, Stamps.

“Stamps can come in many colours and pictures. I drew my stamp with the Malaysia flag to show my love for my country,” writes Asher Wang Qi Chuen, five.

Bethany Wang Qi Syuen, 8

Older sibling Bethany Wang Qi Syuen, eight, says she does not collect stamps because she does not get many letters nowadays.

“But my parents have stamp albums from their childhood, which I enjoy flipping the pages of and admiring the interesting stamps in it.”

Wong Cheng Yang, 9

Nine-year-old Wong Cheng Yang says stamps can be in many shapes like square, triangle and circle.

Naleeny Sathish Kumar, 9

“There are lots of new stamp designs that are released in our country to celebrate different festivals. However, I hardly come across stamps nowadays.

"Last weekend, my English teacher gave my sister a recycled envelope with a stamp. We were so excited to see it. Here’s my stamp design inspired by a chessboard.”

“Stamps will travel places. It has a story to tell. We can create funny, scary or mysterious stories from a stamp,” says Naleeny Sathish Kumar, nine.

Anusuya Sathish Kumar, 4

Anusuya Sathish Kumar, four, thinks stamps are nice and beautiful. “Stamps get to go on a holiday to my grandma’s house. I love stamps.”

“Stamps can be in different shapes and sizes. However these days, we seldom post letters to our friends. I would like to receive a letter with a stamp from the postman one day,” says Wong Jie Ern, seven.

Wong Jie Ern, 7

Find the hidden words!

ITEM: Kids love pasta, be it spaghetti, bow tie, angel hair or penne. If you are a fan, tell us which is your favourite pasta dish. Could it be with bolognese sauce (yes kids, the red sauce), carbonara (white sauce) or marinara (seafood)? Or do you prefer lasagne, macaroni and cheese, or pasta in soup? Or all of the above?

Email your contributions to [e-mail] by Sept 22. Please put “STARCHILD: Pasta” in the subject line of your email.

Scanned drawings should be in jpeg format, with a resolution of 200dpi. Your

contributions must carry your full name, age (open to children aged 12 and below only),

gender, phone contact and address.