THE NATIONAL COAT OF ARMS
Also known as the National Coat of Arms, the State Crest serves as a symbol of Singapore’s status as a self-governing and independent state.
Like the National Flag, the State Crest was conceived by a committee led by then Deputy Prime Minister Dr Toh Chin Chye. The five stars and crescent moon in the centre were Dr Toh's idea, as were the lion and tiger that stand on each side. Explaining his thinking then, Dr Toh said in an oral history interview with the National Archives of Singapore:
"Now in the case of the State Crest, again we got the five stars and the new moon. The ideas were mine. A lion next to a tiger. Tiger, of course, is a more local animal than the lion. What we did not have of course was a crown. 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. That, from the artistic point of view, something is missing. But what can we replace? Well, the old City Council had the Raffles Crest, I think it was a castle or something like that. And a lion. It did merge with our own ideas of self-governing Singapore."
Dr Toh Chin Chye, 1989.
Together with the National Flag and the National Anthem, the State Crest was passed by the Legislative Assembly on 18 November 1959 and unveiled during the installation of Encik Yusof bin Ishak as the Yang di-Pertuan Negara on 3 December 1959.
The State Crest of Singapore is formed by a shield emblazoned with a white crescent moon and five white stars against a red background.
Red is used to symbolise universal brotherhood and the equality of man, while white signifies pervading and everlasting purity and virtue. The five stars represent the national ideals of democracy, peace, progress, justice and equality. This motif is also found on the National Flag.
Supporting the shield are a lion on the left and a tiger on the right. A banner below the shield is inscribed with the Republic of Singapore's motto, 'Majulah Singapura' (meaning 'Onward Singapore' in Malay). The lion embodies Singapore itself while the tiger represents Singapore's historical ties with Malaysia.
adapted from National Heritage Board website