The national flag could have been blue: A look at the history of 7 Singapore symbols

Dr Toh Chin Chye always wanted the five stars in the emblem to represent the ideals of Singapore - democracy, peace, progress, equality and justice. ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE

SINGAPORE - The Citizens' Workgroup for National Symbols recently reviewed how seven markers of national identity could be used and celebrated.

Insight looks at their origins and evolution.

1. National flag

Singapore's flag could have been completely blue, blue and white, or fully red. In 1959, then Deputy Prime Minister Toh Chin Chye was given the task of designing a flag to replace the British Union Jack, when Singapore gained full internal self-government.

He set about looking at the flags of other nations and creating different versions for the legislative assembly to approve, making sure it was not too similar to others.

"I wanted a clear-cut Singapore flag, unique to us only," he said in an oral history interview with the National Archives in 1989.

"I explained to (the Cabinet) why we cannot use red and white, white and red. White above red is the flag of Poland. Red above white is the flag of Indonesia."

An all-blue design was dropped, and an all-red one likely rejected because of its association with communism.

But Dr Toh always wanted the five stars in the emblem to represent the ideals of Singapore - democracy, peace, progress, equality and justice. "Democracy means representation of the people, peace and progress mean social and economic advancement in a peaceful atmosphere, equality stands for equality of sexes and of all races, with justice in social and economic aspects as well as before the law," he said. The crescent, representing an emergent new nation, was then added for aesthetic reasons to balance the flag.

The work group found that it remains important to Singaporeans that the flag is displayed properly, although they are open to its use in artwork and commercial products and on digital platforms.

2. National anthem

In 1959, Singapore had a National Loyalty Week - Dec 3 to 10 - during which the public could dial 2 or 3 to listen to the national anthem on the phone. Dialling other numbers after 2 or 3 would cause the song to fade away.

"We introduced this service as we feel that many people would like to learn the anthem," said a spokesman for the then Singapore Telephone Board.

A composition by Cathay-Keris Film Company music composer Zubir Said, initially written to commemorate the newly renovated Victoria Theatre, was selected as the new nation's national anthem.

It was titled Majulah Singapura, or Onward Singapore.

Malay was thought to best appeal to all races as the indigenous language of the region. But the lyrics had to be simple and understandable enough for people of all ethnicities, and Mr Zubir took much longer to write them than the music itself.

"I got to be very careful. I consulted also an author in the Malay language so that I can do it in proper Malay language but not too deep and not too difficult," he said in a 1984 oral history interview.

A re-orchestrated version was launched in 2001, and the recording was updated in 2019 to mark 60 years of the national symbols.

The workgroup found that while the anthem remains widely known, Singaporeans' understanding of its lyrics leaves much to be desired. The words "bersatu" and "berseru" also continue to trip people up.

3. National coat of arms

The state crest, or the national coat of arms, is mostly associated with government institutions and official documents.

This is despite its omnipresence, imprinted on the national currency and appearing on the cover of the Singapore passport.

It is as old - and as significant in symbolic purpose - as the national flag and the national anthem, created in 1959 as signs of Singapore's status as a self-governing state.

The crest was conceived by a committee led by Dr Toh Chin Chye, who sought out the help of 25-year-old newlywed artist Joseph Teo to produce the design.

The national coat of arms on the Singapore Identity Card. ST FILE PHOTO

Dr Toh, in an oral history interview with the National Archives of Singapore, acknowledged that the state crest might look aesthetically incomplete to some.

"You'd find that with the British national crest, they have a crown, because they have a history of monarchy. We were a republic, no crown. So it looks empty," he said.

But the emptiness was a price well worth paying. "It did merge with our own ideas of self-governing Singapore," he said.

A lion on the left embodies Singapore. Palembang prince Sang Nila Utama reportedly saw the beast here, which led him to name the island Singapura, "Lion City", and establish his kingdom here in 1299.

A tiger on the right signifies Singapore's historical ties with Malaysia. Together, the animals hold up a shield emblazoned with the motifs of the flag - a white crescent moon and five white stars against a red background. The Republic's motto, Majulah Singapura, runs in a banner under it.

4. National pledge

Multiple drafts of the national pledge were created in 1966.

These were among the more interesting changes: the phrase "I pledge" became "We, the citizens of Singapore, pledge", and the phrase "to forget differences of race, language and religion" became "regardless of race, language or religion".

The final version was largely drafted by then Foreign Minister S. Rajaratnam as a way to promote national loyalty and consciousness, following Singapore's separation from Malaysia in 1965.

The pledge exists today in English, Malay, Mandarin and Tamil, unlike the national anthem which should be sung only in Malay.

The taking of the pledge since its inauguration has gone through further changes. At first, it was recited with the right hand raised above the shoulder. Since 1988, at the suggestion of the Defence Ministry, it has been recited by old and young with a clenched right fist over the heart, so that it looks more uniform and this "better reflects the emotional aspect", according to the Education Ministry.

At workgroup discussions, some wanted to remove the pledge line "regardless of race, language or religion", arguing that the listing of differences is too specific and might preclude other differences.

The Association of Women for Action and Research's executive director Corinna Lim also said in April this year that gender equality should be better reflected in the words of the pledge. "Currently, gender equality does not appear in either (pledge or Constitution), unlike equality on the basis of race and religion. If gender equality is to be established as a fundamental value in our society, this should be reflected," she said.

The workgroup found that the pledge continues to spark conversations on national values and identity. Expect wrangling over the words to continue.

5. Lion head symbol

Easily recognisable, having been plastered on the millions of face masks given out amid the pandemic, the lion head symbol is an exception among the national symbols in terms of its availability to Singapore companies, including commercial ones. Not many know it is an official symbol launched by the Government in 1986 as an alternative to the more formal national flag and state crest, which are governed by legal restrictions surrounding their use and display.

Today, any individual, organisation or company can use the lion head for purposes of identifying with the nation. Use of it should not, however, be assumed or taken to indicate official endorsement.

It was designed by Mr Michael Lee, a senior art director with Gartshore Keer and Lim advertising agency. His design was chosen over other motifs like those of Housing Board flats and palm trees.

The lion's mane has five partings that represent the same ideals that the flag's five stars do. The symbol's official colours are red, white or black, which users should not deviate from, although it has been featured in outline form, embossed or portrayed as a watermark.

The lion's mane has five partings that represent the same ideals as the five stars on the national flag. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI

A Ministry of Communications and Information spokesman said in 1986: "To some others, it is a lion that is gritting its teeth, which reflects Singapore's determination to struggle for success, and thus symbolic of a nation bent on making the very best of whatever resources it has."

Various other iterations of lions have been used for other national purposes, although they never quite reached the status of the official lion head symbol.

Singa the Courtesy Lion debuted in 1982, fronting public education campaigns, and was adopted as the official mascot of the Singapore Kindness Movement in 2009. He tendered his resignation in 2013. "I quit. I need a long break, and you could probably use a break from me too. No one likes being nagged at, even if it's about being kind and gracious," a post on the movement's website read. "I suppose it's time for real people to step up and for the mascot to step aside."

6. National flower

As the national flower associated with Singapore's multicultural heritage, the Vanda Miss Joaquim was once the subject of debate over its origins.

Was its hybridity the result of cross-breeding by Singapore-born Armenian Agnes Joaquim? Or was the flower, which gained popularity as far away as Hawaii, actually naturally occurring, perhaps due to pollination by carpenter bees?

The debate seemed apt, given Singapore's reputation as a "melting pot" whose ethnic mix is the result of both natural and consciously cultivated factors. Even when the orchid was nominated as the national flower in 1981, many people chose to root instead for the Vanda Tan Chay Yan, which they said was bred by a true Singaporean, former president Tan Hoon Siang of the Orchid Society of South East Asia.

But the Vanda Miss Joaquim survived the challenge, and today can be seen in gardens and on banners, buntings and other decorations at national events. It is used in souvenirs and jewellery, and widely thought by Singaporeans to be most suited for commemorative gifts, the workgroup found.

The Vanda Miss Joaquim orchid is Singapore's national flower. PHOTO: GARDENS BY THE BAY

Then National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan said at the Singapore Orchid Show in 2006: "As the flower most associated with hybrids, the orchid is also a symbol of our multicultural heritage. It is representative of the harmony among our ethnic communities, as well as with our many foreign visitors."

In 2016, the National Parks Board and National Heritage Board amended their official records to clearly credit the late Miss Joaquim as the orchid's creator.

7. Merlion

"But this lion of the sea/Salt-maned, scaly, wondrous of tail/ Touched with power, insistent/On this brief promontory.../Puzzles." Poet Edwin Thumboo's Ulysses By The Merlion imagines an encounter between Odysseus, king of Ithaca, and the half-beast, half-fish creature that could be Singapore's most recognised global symbol.

He casts the Merlion as an image yearned after by a people surfeited with things - "They buy, they sell" - and "Adding to the Dragon, Phoenix, Garuda, Naga those Horses of the Sun,/This lion of the sea,/This image of themselves".

Singaporeans continue to prefer the Merlion as a symbol for an international audience. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI

Designed in 1964 for the then Singapore Tourist Promotion Board, the Merlion is both ideal and icon. It reflects Singapore's beginnings as a fishing village and the supposed sighting of a lion by Sang Nila Utama, and is also a hybrid, a nod to the nation's multicultural heritage.

Designed by Van Kleef Aquarium curator Fraser Brunner, it became the tourism board's corporate logo until 1997. There are seven Merlion statues approved by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) here, including one on Sentosa making way for a linkway, though STB said it cannot keep track of all reproductions.

The workgroup found Singaporeans continue to prefer it as a symbol for an international audience. Perhaps poet Lee Tzu Pheng's The Merlion To Ulysses rings truer.

The Merlion says in her poem: "Look how easy it is to sell you/my story?... I am the scion of a wealthy race./I wear the silver armour of my moneyed people./Before you leave, O feckless wanderer,/remember to respect my creators."

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