SINGAPORE — Her illustrations of Singapore’s four main races with the national flag were “simple elements” to convey the message of racial harmony.

Thus, little did visual communication student Mavis Tan, 18, expect that her designs would become the first by an Institute of Technical Education (ITE) student to be featured in stamps that will be used on a national level.

But her four round-faced characters have emerged tops in a competition organised by the People’s Association (PA) and Singapore Post (SingPost). The two winning stamp designs will be available to the public from Oct 24. Ms Tan, an ITE College Central student, said: “I hope that when people use the stamps, they’ll be happy and can identify with the whole idea of different races coming together in Singapore.”

The PA and SingPost had worked with ITE on the competition to commemorate the Citizens’ Consultative Committee 50th anniversary with stamp designs that would showcase values such as racial harmony.

Ms Tan had spent two weeks on the entire process, with some help from her teachers, who had advised her about the colours, for instance. A total of 90 entries were submitted by ITE students, and Ms Tan and two others, Muhammad Hazween Rosli and Nurul Fatin Amerah Salim, received awards yesterday from Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at Teck Ghee Community Centre.

ITE visual communication lecturer Ethan Loh said that through the exercise, students picked up skills in designing on small interfaces and learnt how to translate messages into designs. “This will boost students’ confidence in their design skills and motivate them to go further,” he added.

SingPost chairman Lim Ho Kee said stamps record significant events and portray people who are part of Singapore’s history. The entries displayed at the community centre “tell the story of challenges and struggles we faced ... our successes, achievements and aspirations for the future”, he said.

PA chief executive Ang Hak Seng hopes the stamps will help the public gain a deeper appreciation of the role of Citizens’ Consultative Committees in nation building.