Bintang Temasek
Bintang Temasek (Malay for The Star of Temasek) is Singapore's most prestigious national honour and was instituted on 24 July 1970.[1]
| Bintang Temasek | |
|---|---|
.png){kind=small} Medal and ribbon | |
| Awarded by Singapore | |
| Type | Gallantry honour |
| Eligibility | Singapore Armed Forces, the Singapore Police Force or the Singapore Civil Defence Force |
| Awarded for | acts of exceptional courage and skill or for exhibiting conspicuous devotion to duty in circumstances of extreme danger |
| Status | Currently issued (never awarded) |
| Statistics | |
| Established | 1970 |
| Precedence | |
| Next (lower) | Darjah Utama Temasek |
.png){kind=small} Award ribbon from 1970-1996 | |
The badge of the Bintang Temasek may be awarded to any member of the Singapore Armed Forces, the Singapore Police Force or the Singapore Civil Defence Force who has performed acts of exceptional courage and skill or exhibited conspicuous devotion to duty in circumstances of extreme danger. The badge may be awarded posthumously.[2] Recipients of the honour are entitled to use the post-nominal letters BT. The badge is to be worn on the left side of the outer garment suspended from a ribbon. No one has ever received the award since its establishment in 1970. There were suggestions by the public to confer the highest national honour to the first Prime Minister of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew to mark the 50th anniversary of Singapore's independence but it was never conferred even after Lee's death.[3] However, Lee had conferred the honour to the Prime Minister of Cambodia, Norodom Sihanouk during Lee's state visit to Phnom Penh in 1967.[4]
Description
- The Badge is of silver-gilt. The obverse side of the badge consists of a configured Maltese cross with 4 equal limbs superimposed upon a laurel wreath in green enamel which in turn is superimposed upon 2 crossed swords. The centre of the cross bears a laurel wreath in green enamel encircling a five-pointed star embossed on white enamel. Beneath the laurel wreath is a scroll bearing the inscription "BINTANG TEMASEK".
- The reverse side of the Badge bears the State Arms.
- The ribbon is purple in the centre of which is a white band flanked by a narrow white stripe on each side. In the centre of the white band is a red stripe.[5]
References
- Peter H.L. Lim (2009). Chronicle of Singapore, 1959-2009: Fifty Years of Headline News. Singapore: Editions Didier Millet. p. 105. ISBN 978-981-4217-75-0.
- Alphonsus Chern (13 August 2015). "Singapore badges of honour". The Straits Times. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
- Muhammad Danial Noordin (13 August 2015). "Confer Star of Temasek on Mr Lee to mark SG50". TODAYOnline. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
- "Bintang Temasek untuk Sihanouk" [Star of Temasek for Sihanouk]. Berita Harian (Singapore) (in Malay). Phnom Penh. 8 December 1967. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
- "Bintang Temasek (the Star of Temasek) Rules 1996". Singapore Statutes Online. Retrieved 25 November 2018.