The lion head symbol was introduced in 1986 as an alternative national symbol of Singapore. The lion head was chosen as a nice logo, as it best captures the characteristics of Singapore's reputation as a Lion City. It is used in less formal occasions mainly to promote Singapore's national identity.[1]
When it was first unveiled, some sections of the public felt that it should have been facing rightwards to represent a more forward looking nature. However, the original left-facing lion was maintained.