In Tuas, on the westernmost edge of Singapore, a lamp post has become an unexpected monument, a source of joy for cyclists, and a rare exception in a country with strict laws against vandalism.
The story of what makes this lamp post special started in 2014, when a group of cyclists pasted a sticker reading “Pedal Until Shiok” on the post, marking the end of a 50-kilometer bike ride. (Shiok is a Singaporean and Malaysian word used to convey excitement and happiness.) According to Singapore’s Vandalism Act of 1966, pasting that sticker was an illegal act. It was soon removed by authorities.
A while later, other cyclists started flocking to the lamp post to take pictures and paste their own stickers. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and then during the so-called “circuit breaker” period from April to June, cycling gained popularity among many Singaporeans, and even more people were leaving their mark on Tuas Lamp Post 1.
Although most citizens know of Singapore’s vandalism laws, cyclists expressed their unhappiness when the stickers were removed from the lamp post. The government took notice of their concerns, and in January 2021, Singapore’s transport minister Ong Ye Kung announced that the stickers could stay. Kung acknowledged the unique appeal of the lamp post, and its importance to local cyclists. He expressed, “These are little exceptions to the rule, which do not cause disamenities or pose safety hazards to the public, to brighten up life in Singapore.”