Such membership certificates had to be carried around by members of the Chinese secret societies in Singapore for identification. This certificate was issued by the Tsung Sin Kongsi, a branch of the Hokkien-dominated Ghee Hin Kongsi, the largest Chinese secret society in Singapore in the 19th and earth 20th century. The certificate can be identified by a three-sided numerical puzzle inside the top of the inner octagon. The scribbles below the certificate show the deciphering of the symbols into numbers which add up to fifteen whether read horizontally, vertically or diagonally. Secret societies in Singapore were set up in the 19th century with increased Chinese migration to the British colony to provide mutual aid and support for the migrants. These societies had originated from the Tiandihui, which in turn was a local version of the secret society in China that was a sworn fraternity of men with the common aim of overthrowing the Qing dynasty and restoring the Ming.
