• In the 13th century, Prince Sang Nila Utama set off from Bintan Island for Temasek (an old name of Singapore). Upon landing, he encountered a strange, unknown beast. An elder told him the beast was known as “Singa” (Singa or Simha, which means “lion” in Sanskrit). The Prince regarded the beast as an auspicious creature, and decided to build his empire on the new island, naming the place “Singapura”. “Singapura” is Sanskrit for “Lion City”.
• Interestingly, lions are not known to inhabit Southeast Asia. Thus Sang Nila Utama’s sighting of a lion may be purely folklore. In addition, several Southeast Asian cities were known as “Lion Cities” in the olden days, and Temasek could well have been one such city.

In the early 19th century, nights in the Lion City were dark and long. With Raffles’ arrival on these shores, lamps fuelled by coconut oil were hailed as a new beginning. Today the island is ablaze with electric lights. Night is as bright as day in this city that never sleeps. (Lianhe Zaobao, 19/5/2019)