SINGAPORE—As election season intensifies, Singaporeans across the island have once again embraced the true value of political campaign materials: their unparalleled usefulness in absorbing oil stains, supporting hot plates of fried food and protecting tabletops from stray chili sauce.

“Every five years, they give us all these glossy brochures filled with smiling politicians and big promises,” said Tampines resident Mr. Lee, wiping his Hokkien mee-stained fingers on a flyer featuring a candidate’s detailed manifesto. “And every five years, they prove to be the best multipurpose cleaning materials ever.”

From serving as impromptu table mats for messy zi char feasts to being folded into shockingly sturdy coasters for kopi cups, campaign flyers have quietly cemented their status as Singapore’s most practical election freebie—far outlasting the policies they promote.

“My entire kitchen cabinet is propped up by last election’s flyers,” said housewife Mdm Tay, who has repurposed stacks of glossy campaign materials into DIY furniture stabilizers. “That MP didn’t fix my estate’s holey carpark shelter, but at least his face is stopping my dining table from wobbling.”

“Super useful for folding into square containers, hold peanut shells, sunflower seed shells, pistachio shells,” added Ms Lian as she took a few more flyers from a campaign volunteer.

Experts note that campaign materials have historically provided far more direct benefits to households than actual campaign promises, with some flyers even used as excellent double wrappers for fried banana fritters.

At press time, Singaporeans were seen strategically reserving the thickest and highest-quality flyers as seafood zhup absorbers for future wet market trips, while thinner pamphlets were efficiently folded into makeshift fan blades for surviving MRT breakdowns.