Everyday people in WWII: New book tells Singapore stories through personal belongings

Benjamin Seet (right) and Dominic Tan, co-authors of Remembering Syonan: 80 Objects From Occupied Singapore, with some of the items featured in the book.

ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN

Published Sep 11, 2026, 03:16 PM

Updated Sep 11, 2026, 03:16 PM

The new book "Remembering Syonan: 80 Objects From Occupied Singapore" uses personal belongings to reveal everyday life and hardships under Japanese Occupation beyond common historical narratives.

Artefacts include identity booklets, ration cards, and rare passes, illustrating fear, survival, and the Sook Ching massacre's impact on ordinary Singaporeans.

The book launch coincides with the 81st anniversary of Japan's surrender, featuring donated objects and highlighting Singapore's wartime legacy and post-war reparations efforts.

SINGAPORE – After the Japanese occupied Singapore in February 1942 , all men and working women had to carry a pink labour identity booklet issued by the Labour Association .

These booklets from the M alaya Sumatra Romukanrikyokai allowed the military administration to track the adult male population and the availability of labourers.

Within months, residents were weighed down by other documents reflecting the harsh conditions of life: ration cards, bicycle registration cards, and permits for buying condensed milk or cloth.

Concurrently, the Japanese military police issued registration certificates to China immigrants arriving in Singapore, known as Syonan during the occupation . Chinese men aged 18 to 50 were screened at five inspection centres to determine if they supported China or were against Japan.

At those inspection centres, a single rectangular stamp would determine their fates.

Those who “passed” received the stamp on their documents, clothing, or arms and were released. The rest were loaded onto trucks and taken to mass execution sites – a tragedy in Singapore’s history known as Sook Ching, meaning “to purge or cleanse”.

Such artefacts are featured in a new book, Remembering Syonan: 80 Objects From Occupied Singapore. It will launch at the National Library on Sept 12 – exactly 81 years to the day after the formal Japanese surrender.

A certificate of registration with a rectangular stamp received at one of the Sook Ching inspection centres. PHOTO: COLLECTIONS OF BENJAMIN SEET AND DOMINIC TAN

A certificate of registration with a rectangular stamp received at one of the Sook Ching inspection centres.

PHOTO: COLLECTIONS OF BENJAMIN SEET AND DOMINIC TAN

The book is co-authored by Benjamin Seet and Dominic Tan , avid collectors of artefacts from Singapore.

Some of the objects featured in the book come from a 2024 collection donated to the National Library Board by Seet, who oversees innovation and research at the National Healthcare Group.

Amid a trove of academic work on World War II, the authors said their book stands out for its focus on the everyday lives of ordinary people.

“When you look at most history books... there’s a narrative that is chronological and typically, most of it would feature the politicians, the generals, the heroes, the people who have done great things in terms of war or nation building,” Seet noted.

“But when you look at this book, it is about everyday people.”

At the launch on Sept 12, the book will be sold at a discounted rate of $60 for a hardcover and $30 for a softcover. ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN

At the launch on Sept 12, the book will be sold at a discounted rate of $60 for a hardcover and $30 for a softcover.

The objects in their book offer a close-up look at the ordinary life during the Occupation, beyond historical narratives.

“Difficult” was the only word the widow of a 46-year-old victim of the Sook Ching massacre could say when asked to describe her family’s situation after his death.

She wrote it on an official report for the Appeal Committee for Singapore Chinese Massacred by Japanese, an organisation formed in 1947 to seek justice and reparations from Tokyo. This form is featured in the book, along with the man’s registration certificate.

The last time his wife and son saw him was likely on the evening of Feb 22, 1942, when he left his home on South Bridge Road to report to the Sook Ching inspection centre on Upper Cross Street. He was late r taken to a concentration camp.

The documents paint a picture of an ordinary man – a bespectacled medical doctor who arrived from Canton in 1940 and lived on South Bridge Road – who may have been obscured by wider historical narratives of the Occupation.

A form of report for the Appeal Committee for Singapore Chinese Massacred by Japanese. A widow filling in this form described her family situation after her husband’s death as “difficult”. PHOTO: COLLECTIONS OF BENJAMIN SEET AND DOMINIC TAN

A form of report for the Appeal Committee for Singapore Chinese Massacred by Japanese. A widow filling in this form described her family situation after her husband’s death as “difficult”.

Seet said the idea for the book sprung from his interest in Singapore’s history, of which World War II was one of the most definitive events.

Tan said many Singaporeans carry second-hand accounts from that era, noting how profoundly the war shaped local lives.

“We all may have personal backstories of grandfathers or grandmothers related to the war and the impact it had,” said Tan, who is the head of the Global Innovation Hub at SATS.

Seet showed The Straits Times a metal disc smaller than a $1 coin. More than eight decades ago in 1942 , three-year-old Loke Hin Teng’s parents may have secured it to his clothes with a safety pin or hung it around his neck like an amulet or talisman.

Inscribed in Chinese and English on the disc are his name, age, dialect group, home address and his father’s name.

It is meant to identify the boy if he were separated from his family during the Japanese bombing and invasion.

This identity disc was meant to identify its wearer if they were separated from their family during Japanese bombing and invasion. PHOTO: COLLECTIONS OF BENJAMIN SEET AND DOMINIC TAN

This identity disc was meant to identify its wearer if they were separated from their family during Japanese bombing and invasion.

“Something like this brings up the reality of the moment. It’s about uncertainty and fear. The object tells the history on its own,” said Seet.

Featuring more than 200 objects , the book uses short, visually driven text.

Tan said: “A lot of the knowledge actually exists, but it’s in a format that is becoming less easy for people to digest. The point of our book is that the artefacts draw you into the reality of the situation.”

He added that about half of the objects had not previously been featured in exhibitions or museums.

One such rarity is a cloth pass issued to a local Chinese resident that would have granted him protection during the Sook Ching massacre – a rare token of sympathy from Japanese officials.

“The bearer of this pass is a good citizen. Please look after him, protect him, and let him go about his business without hindrance,” says the pass, handwritten by Mamoru Shinozaki, the welfare department head in the Japanese Military Administration.

The “Good Citizen Certificate” belonged to a 25-year-old resident of 188 Hougang Lane 6.

The deep crease across its width suggests it may have been folded and kept in a pocket for easy reach amid arrests and harassment by Japanese soldiers.

The creases on this Good Citizen Certificate suggest it may have been folded and kept at arms’ reach in a pocket. PHOTO: COLLECTIONS OF BENJAMIN SEET AND DOMINIC TAN

The creases on this Good Citizen Certificate suggest it may have been folded and kept at arms’ reach in a pocket.

Another rarity is a post-war invitation to a mass rally to demand compensation from the Japanese government on Aug 25, 1963 – the only copy Seet has ever encountered.”

Thousands were likely printed as public pressure mounted for the Singapore government to seek reparations from Japan following the 1962 discovery of mass graves in Siglap and across the island.

More than 120,000 people attended the rally, making it one of the largest public gatherings in Singapore’s history.

Another rarity is a post-war invitation to a mass rally on Aug 25, 1963 – the only copy Seet has ever encountered. PHOTO: COLLECTIONS OF BENJAMIN SEET AND DOMINIC TAN

Another rarity is a post-war invitation to a mass rally on Aug 25, 1963 – the only copy Seet has ever encountered.

Singapore demanded that Japan pay $50 million to settle the “blood debt”. After prolonged negotiations, Japan agreed to pay that amount on Oct 25, 1966.

Unveiling the Civilian War Memorial in 1967, then prime minister Lee Kuan Yew said: “We meet not to rekindle old fires of hatred, nor to seek settlements for blood debts. We meet to remember the men and women who were hapless victims of one of the fires of history.”

It is through their belongings and documents - yellowed, creased, or torn – that Seet and Tan’s book remembers Syonan and others who lived through those times.

The retail price for the hardcover and softcover are $88 and $36 respectively.

Wong Man Shun a journalist at The Straits Times, where he writes about community and consumer news.

Collectors/Collections

《忆昭南：来自被占领新加坡的 80 件物品》的合著者 Benjamin Seet（右）和 Dominic Tan 与书中收录的部分物品合影。

圣徒照片：吴索銮

发布于 2026 年 9 月 11 日下午 3:16

更新于2026年9月11日下午3:16

新书《追忆昭南：来自被占领的新加坡的 80 件物品》利用个人物品，揭示了日本占领时期人们的日常生活和艰辛，超越了常见的历史叙述。

展品包括身份证、配给卡和罕见的通行证，展现了恐惧、生存以及肃清大屠杀对普通新加坡人的影响。

该书的发布恰逢日本投降 81 周年，书中展出了捐赠物品，重点介绍了新加坡的战争遗产和战后赔偿工作。

新加坡——1942 年 2 月日本占领新加坡后，所有男性和女工都必须携带由劳工协会颁发的粉红色劳工身份手册。

马来亚苏门答腊罗慕干里教会的这些小册子使军事当局能够追踪成年男性人口和劳动力供应情况。

几个月内，居民们又收到了反映生活艰辛的其他文件：配给卡、自行车登记卡以及购买炼乳或布匹的许可证。

与此同时，日本宪兵队向抵达新加坡（日占时期称为昭南）的中国移民发放登记证。18至50岁的中国男子在五个检查中心接受筛查，以确定他们是支持中国还是反对日本。

在这些检验中心，一个矩形印章就能决定他们的命运。

那些“通过”审查的人会在他们的证件、衣物或武器上盖上印章，然后被释放。其余的人则被装上卡车，送往集体处决地点——这是新加坡历史上被称为“肃清”（Sook Ching）的悲剧，意为“清洗或净化”。

这些文物被收录在一本新书《铭记昭南：来自被占领新加坡的80件物品》中。该书将于9月12日在国家图书馆举行发布会——这一天恰好是日本正式投降81周年纪念日。

一张盖有矩形印章的登记证书，由淑清检验中心之一签发。照片：Benjamin Seet 和 Dominic Tan 的收藏

在淑清检验中心之一获得的带有矩形印章的登记证书。

照片：本杰明·西特和多米尼克·谭的收藏

本书由 Benjamin Seet 和 Dominic Tan 合著，他们都是新加坡文物的狂热收藏家。

书中收录的一些物品来自 Seet 于 2024 年捐赠给国家图书馆委员会的藏品，Seet 负责国家医疗集团的创新和研究工作。

在大量关于第二次世界大战的学术著作中，作者表示，他们的书因关注普通人的日常生活而脱颖而出。

“当你翻阅大多数历史书籍时……你会发现它们都是按时间顺序叙述的，而且通常大部分内容都会着重描写政治家、将军、英雄，以及在战争或国家建设方面做出伟大贡献的人，”西特指出。

“但当你翻开这本书，你会发现它讲述的是普通人的故事。”

9月12日新书发布会上，精装本售价60美元，平装本售价30美元，均有折扣。ST PHOTO：NG SOR LUAN

9 月 12 日新书发布会上，精装版售价为 60 美元，平装版售价为 30 美元，均有折扣。

他们书中的物品展现了占领时期普通人的生活，超越了历史叙述的范畴。

当被问及丈夫在肃清大屠杀中去世后，她家的情况如何时，一位46岁遇难者的遗孀只能用“艰难”一词来形容。

她将这份文件写在一份提交给“新加坡华人遭日军屠杀申诉委员会”的正式报告上。该委员会成立于1947年，旨在向东京寻求正义和赔偿。这份表格以及该男子的登记证明均收录于书中。

他的妻子和儿子最后一次见到他很可能是在1942年2月22日晚上，当时他离开位于南桥路的家，前往上十字街的肃清检查站报到。之后他被送往集中营。

这些文件描绘了一个普通人的形象——一位戴着眼镜的医生，1940 年从广州来到这里，住在南桥路——他可能被占领时期更广泛的历史叙事所掩盖。

这是新加坡华人遭日军屠杀申诉委员会的一份报告表格。一位填写此表格的寡妇形容丈夫去世后她的家庭状况“十分艰难”。照片：本杰明·西特和多米尼克·陈的收藏

这是新加坡华人遭日军屠杀申诉委员会收到的一份报告表格。一位填写此表格的寡妇形容丈夫去世后她的家庭状况“十分艰难”。

Seet表示，这本书的创作灵感源于他对新加坡历史的兴趣，而第二次世界大战是新加坡历史上最具决定性的事件之一。

谭表示，许多新加坡人都有关于那个时代的二手资料，并指出战争对当地人的生活产生了多么深远的影响。

“我们每个人可能都有祖父母与战争及其影响相关的个人经历，”新翔集团全球创新中心负责人谭先生说道。

Seet向《海峡时报》展示了一枚比1元硬币还小的金属圆盘。八十多年前的1942年，三岁的Loke Hin Teng的父母可能用别针把它别在他的衣服上，或者像护身符一样挂在他的脖子上。

光盘上用中文和英文刻着他的姓名、年龄、方言组、家庭住址和父亲姓名。

这是为了识别在日本轰炸和入侵期间与家人失散的男孩。

这枚身份牌旨在识别在日军轰炸和入侵期间与家人失散的佩戴者。照片：本杰明·西特和多米尼克·谭的收藏

这种身份牌的目的是为了在日军轰炸和入侵期间与家人失散时识别佩戴者的身份。

“这样的作品反映了当下的现实。它关乎不确定性和恐惧。这件物品本身就讲述了一段历史，”西特说道。

本书收录了 200 多个物品，采用简短、以视觉为主的文字。

谭说：“很多知识其实都存在，但其呈现方式越来越难以被人们理解和接受。我们这本书的意义就在于，通过这些实物，让你身临其境地感受当时的真实情况。”

他还补充说，其中约有一半的物品以前从未在展览或博物馆中展出过。

其中一件罕见的物品是发给当地华人居民的布质通行证，该通行证可在肃清大屠杀期间保护他——这是日本官员罕见的同情之举。

“持此通行证者是一位好公民。请照顾他，保护他，让他畅通无阻地开展工作。”通行证上写道，这是日本军政福利部部长筱崎守亲笔所写。

这张“优秀公民证书”属于一位居住在后港六巷188号的25岁居民。

纸张横向的深折痕表明，它可能曾被折叠起来放在口袋里，以便在被日本士兵逮捕和骚扰时能够随时取用。

这张“优秀公民证书”上的折痕表明它可能曾被折叠起来，放在触手可及的口袋里。照片：本杰明·西特和多米尼克·谭的收藏

这张“好公民证书”上的折痕表明它可能被折叠起来，放在伸手可及的口袋里。

另一件罕见的物品是一份战后邀请函，邀请人们参加1963年8月25日举行的群众集会，要求日本政府赔偿——这是Seet见过的唯一一份副本。

随着公众对新加坡政府向日本寻求赔偿的压力不断增加，在1962年锡格拉普和全岛发现万人坑后，很可能印制了数千份此类宣传材料。

超过 12 万人参加了集会，使其成为新加坡历史上规模最大的公众集会之一。

另一件珍品是一份战后邀请函，邀请函邀请人们参加1963年8月25日的大型集会——这是西特迄今为止见过的唯一一份。照片：本杰明·西特和多米尼克·谭的收藏

另一件罕见的物品是一份战后邀请函，邀请函邀请人们参加 1963 年 8 月 25 日的大规模集会——这是 Seet 见过的唯一一份副本。

新加坡要求日本支付5000万美元以了结“血债”。经过漫长的谈判，日本于1966年10月25日同意支付这笔款项。

1967年，时任总理李光耀在为平民战争纪念碑揭幕时说：“我们聚集于此，不是为了重燃旧日的仇恨之火，也不是为了清算血债。我们聚集于此，是为了缅怀那些在历史战火中不幸遇难的男男女女。”

Seet 和 Tan 的书正是通过他们泛黄、起皱或破损的遗物和文件，来纪念 Syonan 和其他经历过那个时代的人们。

精装本和平装本的零售价分别为 88 美元和 36 美元。

黄文顺是《海峡时报》的记者，主要撰写社区和消费新闻。

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