Singapore’s Political Past Comes Alive in Vintage Treasures

In a cluttered corner of Singapore’s Tai Seng neighborhood, history isn’t just preserved—it’s for sale. At Treasure At Home Vintage Store, nestled within the industrial sprawl of Kapo Factory Building, owner Wak Sadri and his son Emyr Uzayr curate a collection of political memorabilia that offers a tangible connection to the city-state’s storied electoral past. As Singapore gears up for its General Election on May 3, 2025, interest in these relics—ranging from 1950s campaign posters to presidential portraits—has surged, drawing collectors, historians, and curious voters alike.

A Serendipitous Journey Through History

For Wak Sadri, a 46-year-old veteran of the vintage trade, every item in his shop tells a story of chance discovery. During a 2022 trip scouring the streets of Perak for old furniture, he stumbled upon a 1959 issue of Petir Pictorial, the official magazine of the People’s Action Party (PAP), published in the year of its first electoral triumph. The cover, depicting PAP leaders in white on the steps of the then City Hall, captured a defining moment in Singapore’s history. “You have to expect the unexpected” said Sadri, reflecting on his acquisition trips. “If you think you’re going to get something, you are sure not to get it.”

That magazine, originally priced at 60 cents, fetched a four-figure sum last year, a testament to the growing appetite for political artifacts. Sadri’s store, a maximalist haven of art deco armchairs, hand-painted signs, and trinkets, has long attracted eclectic clientele, including set designers for local dramas like Emerald Hill (2025) and culinary icon Violet Oon. But with the upcoming election, it’s the political memorabilia—vintage PAP posters, campaign flyers, and rare newsletters—that have taken center stage.

The Visual Language of Past Campaigns

Election posters, both past and present, are designed to command attention. At Treasure At Home, framed multilingual PAP posters from the 1960s reveal a stark contrast to today’s designs. Emyr Uzayr, Sadri’s 21-year-old son and business partner, notes the minimalist yet striking aesthetic of earlier campaigns. “It’s simple but it’s loud” he said, pointing to the bold color palettes and poetic slogans. Chinese slogans often featured rhyming couplets, while English and Malay text was sharp and succinct, reflecting a time when messaging was as much art as politics.

These artifacts aren’t just visual relics; they carry personal histories. Emyr recalls a young man visiting in 2024 who fixated on a 1960s PAP poster, spotting the name of Malaya Engraving & Litho Printing Co. in fine print. “He knew instantly it was where his grandfather worked” Emyr said. “It might have been something his grandfather helped print.” Such moments breathe life into the store’s collection, transforming dusty paper into family legacies.

Icons and Regrets: Personal Connections to Power

Among the shop’s treasures is a framed 2011 campaign poster of Dr. Tan Cheng Bock, a former PAP Member of Parliament and presidential candidate who narrowly lost that year’s election by fewer than 10,000 votes. Now contesting in the West Coast-Jurong West Group Representation Constituency (GRC) for GE2025, Dr. Tan personally gifted Sadri six signed posters—a gesture that underscores the personal ties woven into the store’s inventory. Sadri is reluctant to sell this particular piece, haunted by a past regret: parting with a 1959 photograph of the late Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s founding prime minister, unearthed from a Toa Payoh provision shop. “For me, it’s sentimental because I used to work for him” Sadri said, recalling his days in the Police Security Command escorting Lee and other ministers. “His aura was second to none. His mind was made of platinum.”

Other items evoke similar nostalgia. A poster of former Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng, from his 1984 campaign for the now-defunct Kuo Chuan constituency, caught the eye of Wong himself, who sent a representative to view it. Though Wong didn’t purchase it, one of Sadri’s two copies was sold to an Australian collector. These pieces freeze moments of political evolution—like the shift from single-member constituencies to GRCs in 1988, which saw Kuo Chuan absorbed into the since-dissolved Toa Payoh GRC.

Chasing the Past: Rare Finds and Missing Pieces

The hunt for vintage political items is a family affair. Emyr, a finance undergraduate, honed his skills exploring Singapore’s Sungei Road Thieves Market as a child with his parents and sister. His knack for negotiation shone when he spotted eight issues of the Plebeian newsletter, published by the defunct left-wing Barisan Sosialis, in a collector’s home. “I didn’t want to seem too eager” he said. “If I did, he might have raised the price.” Selling for a low three-figure sum per issue, these inflammatory publications—tied to a faction expelled from the PAP in 1961—were quickly snapped up by university students eager to own a piece of Singapore’s opposition history.

Yet gaps remain in the collection. Workers’ Party (WP) memorabilia, linked to figures like David Marshall—Singapore’s first Chief Minister under the 1955 Rendel Constitution and later WP founder—are scarce. “They’re hard to find on the market” Emyr said, emphasizing the store’s political neutrality despite its inventory. Sadri also seeks portraits of recent Singaporean presidents to complete a display that begins with Yusof Ishak, the nation’s first president, and his wife, Puan Noor Aishah, whose passing on April 22, 2025, at age 91, marked a somber note in the city’s history.

Preserving Singapore’s Story for Future Generations

Many artifacts at Treasure At Home lack clear provenance, a challenge Sadri attributes to local customs. A hand-painted PAP curtain blind from around 1973, celebrating “14 years of honest effective government,” bears no artist’s name—a stark contrast to Western practices, as Emyr notes. “With Americans, they usually sign their names on posters and even furniture” he said. Such anonymity complicates authentication, as with a hefty 1955 tin sign referencing the Labour Front’s victory that year, acquired from a Eurasian family who claimed ties to the Marshall family. “We can’t verify it, so we only say it’s from the election period” Sadri said cautiously.

Despite the historical weight of these items, many leave Singapore’s shores. A Hong Kong collector recently acquired the 1973 PAP blind, prompting Sadri to issue a heartfelt plea. “I hope Singaporeans will keep the artifacts here” he said. “This is where they belong. This is where the story starts and sometimes ends.” As GE2025 campaign materials flood the city, he urges residents to hold onto seemingly mundane items—posters, flyers, merchandise. “You should keep things” he said. “In 10 to 15 years, this election might have changed people’s lives.”

A Living Archive Amid Modern Campaigns

Treasure At Home is more than a store; it’s a living archive where Singapore’s political past intersects with its present. As voters prepare for the May 3 election—the PAP’s bid for a 16th consecutive victory—Sadri’s collection offers a reminder of the city-state’s journey from colonial rule to global powerhouse. Each poster, photograph, and newsletter encapsulates a chapter of struggle, triumph, or transition, inviting reflection on how far Singapore has come and where it might be headed.

For Sadri, the value of history is timeless. “One minute past is already a historical event” he said with a smile. As campaign fervor grips the nation, his shop stands as a quiet testament to the enduring power of memory—and the unexpected treasures that keep it alive.