Coat of arms of Singapore

The coat of arms of Singapore is the heraldic symbol for the sovereign island country and city-state of Singapore in maritime Southeast Asia. It was adopted in 1959 when Singapore began to govern itself within the British Empire. It is still used today.

At the centre is a red shield with a white crescent, a new moon, showing Singapore as a "young nation on the rise". There are also five white stars for democracy, peace, progress, justice, and equality. A lion and a tiger stand beside the shield, showing the country's name and its links to the Malay Peninsula. Below is a blue ribbon with the words Majulah Singapura in gold, Malay for "Onward Singapore".

The coat of arms is used mainly by the government. Many people see it on the national currency and the national passport.

History

When Singapore became self-governing in 1959, Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew wanted a new coat of arms for the country. A committee led by deputy prime minister Toh Chin Chye helped design this symbol, along with the national flag and anthem. They wanted to show Singapore's many different groups together.

The coat of arms and flag were designed in two months. In November 1959, a law about these symbols was approved. On December 3, 1959, the new coat of arms, flag, and anthem were shown to the people of Singapore for the first time.

Symbolism

The coat of arms of Singapore shows a red shield with five white stars and a white crescent moon. These symbols are also on the Singapore flag. The red color means unity and equality. White stands for purity and virtue. The crescent moon shows that Singapore is a young nation that is growing. The five stars represent the nation's ideals: democracy, peace, progress, justice, and equality.

On each side of the shield are a lion and a tiger. The tiger reminds us of Singapore’s past when the island was covered in jungle. It also shows the nation’s close ties to its neighbors. The lion represents Singapore and connects to its history. Below the shield, a blue ribbon has the national motto, Majulah Singapura, meaning "Onward Singapore" in Malay, the nation’s official language. This motto is also the title of the national anthem.

Uses

In 1985, the Monetary Authority of Singapore began making new coins. These coins show the coat of arms on one side. Around the coat of arms are the words for "Singapore" in four languages: English, Mandarin, Malay, and Tamil, along with the year the coins were made. A dollar coin with the same design came out in 1987. The 1985 coins had a special design, but in 1992, the design changed to the usual one.

The coat of arms is also on all Singaporean paper money since 1967. It appears on special awards too. For example, the medals for the Darjah Utama Temasek and the Sijil Kemuliaan show the full coat of arms, while the Darjah Utama Bakti Cemerlang medal shows just the shield part.

Main articles: Darjah Utama Temasek, Sijil Kemuliaan, Darjah Utama Bakti Cemerlang

Guidelines

The coat of arms of Singapore is only for the government to use. People must get permission from the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts before they can print, make, show, or sell anything with the coat of arms on it. It is also not allowed to use a symbol that looks very much like the coat of arms. Writers also need permission to use the coat of arms in their stories. The coat of arms can be used without special permission only on government buildings and official documents.