As recorded in the 13th century
Malay Annals, a prince from Palembang was shipwrecked and
washed ashore to an unknown island. Subsequently, he saw a
creature which he believed was a lion and named the island
"Singa Pura" ("Lion City") - from which the name Singapore was
derived.
The Singapore Lion Symbol was first introduced
in 1986 as an alternative National Symbol. This is so since
the National Flag and State Crest have legal restrictions
which prohibit their use for non-government and commercial
purposes. The then Ministry of Communications and Information
had launched a search among art institutions and advertising
agencies for a logo that could best exemplify the
characteristics of a nation. Eventually, the Lion Symbol was
chosen because of the nation's reputation as the Lion
City.