D'Walking Museum

19/08/2026

Expect the unexpected with D'Walking Museum! – Inspire discovery through hands-on history.👈

🫢...Lee Kuan Yew's engraved Montblanc fountain pen recently sold for an extraordinary S$461,500 at auction.

✍️ Over the years, I have observed increasing interest from collectors in items personally signed by Mr Lee. I have also been approached by collectors and dealers seeking my views on the authenticity of various LKY signatures.

One such piece of history in my collection is a 1963 Chinese New Year greeting card, personally inscribed by Lee Kuan Yew in Chinese and accompanied by his personal seal.

The envelope was sent from the Prime Minister's Office on 21 January 1963, during Lee's tenure as Prime Minister. The date is particularly significant, as less than eight months later, on 16 September 1963, Singapore joined Malaysia.

Unlike the auctioned pen, this was simply a small New Year greeting sent from one person to another. More than sixty years later, it quietly preserves a personal connection to a pivotal year in 🇸🇬Singapore's history.

I always believe history endures in even the smallest objects.

09/08/2026

❤️🤍 Sixty-one years ago, Singapore began its journey as an independent nation with courage, determination and hope. The words behind our first Independence Anniversary stamps—"Surviving in a Challenging Future in a Multi-Racial Society"—reflected the realities and aspirations of a young nation. Today, we celebrate how far we have come while continuing to cherish the values that unite us—resilience, harmony, innovation, and the spirit to keep moving forward.

❤️🤍 Every generation has helped shape Singapore's story. May we continue to cherish our heritage, honour those who came before us, and inspire those who will build the future of our nation.

Happy 61st Birthday, Singapore! 🎉🎂🇸🇬❤️🤍
Majulah Singapura!

07/08/2026

Expect the unexpected with D'Walking Museum! – Inspire discovery through hands-on history.👈

✍️ It was a pleasure meeting Wen Bin, the designer behind SingPost's 61st Anniversary of Independence commemorative stamp issue.

I was honoured to have him autograph the printed ballot results for both my successful ballot entry and my younger daughter's. With only 61 imperforated stamp sheet sets released worldwide through a public ballot, these signed ballot results have become a meaningful part of the story behind our commemorative sets.

As a collector, I treasure not only the stamps themselves, but also the stories and people behind their creation. Thank you, Wen Bin, for your time and generosity, and for creating a commemorative issue that beautifully connects 🇸🇬 Singapore's past with its present.

Wishing you every success in your future designs. 💖✨

06/08/2026

Expect the unexpected with D'Walking Museum! – Inspire discovery through hands-on history.👈

Not Every Important Artefact Is Rare.

Recently, as I was going through my collection, I stopped to look at this certificate. I shared it in 2014, but now, with more time gone by, I see it a bit differently.

Collectors are often asked, "What is your most valuable artefact?"

My answer is not always the rarest, oldest, or most expensive item.

Sometimes, it is something as simple as this certificate.
Issued in March 1974, it was presented to Mr Wan Kamak bin Wan Sulong Almashahyah in recognition of 34 years of service to the Government of 🇸🇬Singapore.

Adding to its historical significance, the certificate bears the signature of Mr Ong Pang Boon, who served in 🇸🇬Singapore's first self-government Cabinet in 1959. Yet beyond the signature of a prominent political figure, what interests me most is the story of the recipient himself.

At first glance, this may appear to be just a simple certificate. There are no dramatic events recorded on it, no famous speeches, or historic photos on it.

But this single document represents something that is easy to overlook — the thousands of ordinary men and women who quietly helped keep 🇸🇬Singapore moving forward.

📖 History books often focus on leaders and big events, but building a nation depended on dedicated people who showed up to work every day and did their jobs year after year.

Mr Wan served for thirty-four years.

Imagine how much 🇸🇬Singapore has changed during those years. The landscape changed. Society changed. The city changed.

But through everything, people like Mr Wan kept serving.
That is what drew me to this artefact.
Not because it is rare.
Not because it is valuable.
But because it reminds us that 🇸🇬Singapore's story is not just about the people in history books, but also about those whose contributions live on in simple documents like this one.

Sometimes, the quietest artefacts have the most powerful stories to tell.🫰

28/07/2026

Expect the unexpected with D'Walking Museum! - For Communities, Schools, Business Owners, Event Planners and more…👈

This message made my day. ✨❤️

When I started D'Walking Museum!, I had one simple goal—to bring 🇸🇬Singapore's history to life through authentic artefacts, hands-on experiences, and storytelling.

Messages like this from educators reinforce my commitment to this work.

For me, success is not defined by the number of workshops I conduct, but by seeing students grow curious, ask questions, make discoveries, and realise that history is tangible and engaging.

I am sincerely grateful to every principal, HOD, and teacher who has trusted D'Walking Museum! over the years. Your encouragement and support have enabled me to share Singapore's heritage with thousands of students, and I deeply value that trust.

Thank you for your continued belief in this work.💖🙏

21/07/2026

Expect the unexpected with D'Walking Museum! - For Communities, Schools, Business Owners, Event Planners and more…👈

🔎"Seeing of artefacts that didn't know existed," shared one curious student, capturing the essence of discovery that defines our D'Walking Museum programme. From rare historical treasures to everyday objects with extraordinary stories, every artefact reveals something new about 🇸🇬Singapore's past—bringing history to life, one artefact at a time.

14/07/2026

Expect the unexpected with D'Walking Museum! – Inspire discovery through hands-on history.👈

💲💵💵💵THIS MONEY TALKS.💵💵💵💲

They tell the story of life in 🇸🇬Singapore during the Japanese Occupation (1942–1945).

Every artefact has a story. Every story brings history to life.

Looking forward to inspiring another group of students through authentic historical artefacts at my upcoming D'Walking Museum! programme.

04/07/2026

Expect the unexpected with D'Walking Museum! – Inspire discovery through hands-on history.👈

🙏Thank you to Capital 95.8 DJ Capital 958 DJ 淑君 Shu Jun for the invitation to share the stories behind the historical artefacts from my collection.

It was also a pleasure meeting Mdm Peng Lee Er from Singapore Chin Kang Huay Kuan, who showcased artefacts from the association's collection. Together, we explored the important social role that clan associations have played in Singapore's history.

During the programme, I shared two rare artefacts from my collection, illustrating how clan associations evolved from supporting early immigrants to strengthening communities and contributing to 🇸🇬Singapore's nation-building—a legacy that continues to shape our heritage today.

I am always grateful for opportunities to bring Singapore's history to life through authentic artefacts and the stories they preserve.

🙏感谢 Capital 958 DJ 淑君 Shu Jun 的邀请，让我有机会分享收藏文物背后的历史故事。

也很高兴认识 晋江会馆常务委员彭丽儿女士。她分享了晋江会馆珍藏的历史文物，而我则分享了两件来自个人收藏的珍贵文物，一起从不同角度探讨会馆在🇸🇬新加坡社会发展中的重要角色。

会馆不仅协助早期移民在异乡落地生根，更凝聚乡亲、联系社群，并在新加坡的发展历程中留下重要足迹。这些文物，正是这段历史最真实的见证。

很荣幸能够继续透过真实文物，让更多人认识新加坡丰富的历史与文化遗产。
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1932k1UpkB/

#958印象古早

02/07/2026

Expect the unexpected with D'Walking Museum! – Inspire discovery through hands-on history.👈

Following my earlier post on a 侨批 ("Qiaopi" - Chinese migrant letter) written in 1879, have you ever wondered who actually wrote many of these letters?

This photo from my collection, taken in 🇸🇬Singapore in the 1930s, depicts one of the country's overlooked professions: the letter writer (代书先生), who helped send countless letters overseas. 📨✍️

Many early immigrants were not confident in reading or writing Chinese. When they wanted to send family news, remittances, or personal messages home, they often relied on professional letter writers to put their thoughts into words.

In some ways, these letter writers were like the WhatsApp, email, and voice messages of their time. Without them, many 侨批 (Qiaopi) might never have existed.

Today, the letters remain, but the migrants and the letter writers are gone. Still, together they helped families stay connected across thousands of miles. 💌

Sometimes, history is just one person helping another find the right words.

#侨批 #給阿嬷的情書

23/06/2026

Expect the unexpected with D'Walking Museum! – Inspire discovery through hands-on history.👈

A fascinating feature from CAPITAL 95.8's 《958印象古早》 on the often-overlooked contributions of Singapore's Cantonese (广府) community.

I am pleased to have contributed photographs from my collection to help illustrate this story.

A reminder that Singapore's history was built not only by famous figures, but also by generations of ordinary people whose hard work helped shape our nation.

感谢淑君及CAPITAL 95.8团队采用我收藏中的老照片，共同分享这段珍贵的广东人历史。🙏

#958印象古早

说起新加坡华族历史，人们往往先想到闽南人和潮州人的商业成就；而人口位居第三的广东（广府）人，却像一条隐藏在城市脉络里的细流，虽然不那么显眼，却始终默默塑造着这座城市。由CAPITAL 958与新加坡华族文化中心联合....