Happy National Day!

Singapore turns 45 today (as will I in a few months time :]) and being our nation's National Day, I wanted to pay tribute to my country and let everyone know how proud I am to be a Singaporean.

One of the early history of Singapore tells the tale of a prince named Sang Nila Utama, who landed on the island during the 13th century. While hunting, he saw a strange animal which moved with great speed as it disappeared into the jungle. He asked his chief minister what animal it was, and was told that it probably was a lion. The prince took this as an auspicious sign and named this city "Singapura". "Singa" means lion and "pura" means city. The name thus means the Lion City. Sang Nila Utama ruled Singapura for 48 years and was buried on Bukit Larangan (present-day Fort Canning Hill).

So here's Leo Prime (he is often referred to by his Japanese name Lio Convoy because his English name Leo Prime wasn't coined by Hasbro until 2006) to represent the Lion that is "Lion City". Leo Prime is a Maximal commander, who leads The Pack. Leo Prime takes the form of a white lion in beast mode on the planet Gaia (in reality a future Earth).

Here's white lion Leo Prime in transformed Autobot mode, saluting with the Singapore flag. The Singapore Arms and Flag and National Anthem Rules define the flag's composition and the symbolism of its elements: red symbolises "universal brotherhood and equality of man", and white, "pervading and everlasting purity and virtue". The waxing crescent moon "represents a young nation on the ascendant". The five stars "stand for the nation's ideals of democracy, peace, progress, justice and equality".

So here's to Singapore and all Singaporeans, and wishing for many more good years to come!

Previous National Day post:
August 9, 2009: Salute and Mobile Column