Singapore's National Icon-George

Do you think the merlion is the best national icon Singapore can have?

Personally, even though many people think that the Merlion should be our national icon and many foreigners think so, I don't think or feel that the Merlion exactly defines Singapore as a country. When I was young, I didn't think much about and went along with everybody else. But now, thinking deeper, I don't feel this is so. Why not? Firstly, what the heck is a Merlion? People who never heard of it or don't know what is is may guess, is is a mermaid plus a lion? A female lion? A chimera? Who knows? A Merlion is a huge statue of a lion and a fish near the Fullerton Hotel. But what exactly does it symbolize? When Sang Nila Utama, a prince, discovered Singapore, he saw a majestic animal, who his adviser told him is a lion, a Singa. And the fish part is that Singapore has a history of a fishing village. But firstly and scientifically, there is no proven evidence in our region and regions near Singapore, there has never been lions! (Unless you count the ones in the Singapore Zoo) So the animal he saw may not even have been a lion in the first place. Secondly, common sense, nowadays, to be frank, lesser and lesser people seem to even care about the history of some place. It has even been ranked that 80% of the current teenager population don't even care about the history about the country they go to or visit. (Excluding me) They tend to focus more on the present and future, which in short, is a booming city, a metropolis. So won't a city full of skyscrapers and casinos give people a better idea of Singapore. Alright, there are many cases, but what exactly is the POINT of a national icon? To me, it symbolizes of what the people aspire to be. To others, it may be something that represents their country, or what the country is famous for. (I'm stereotyping now, but honestly, when you think about Las Vegas, you think casinos and Ferraris).  Who determines the national icon? Everybody, everybody has a right, and majority wins. Do we actually NEED one? Honestly, yes, as nowadays, as shown in a survey conducted by reputable university in Boston. (Ahem... Harvard), quite a few people lack dreams and ambitions, and do not know what to do, and everyday they may feel a lack of purpose, but if we were to have a national icon, some people would understand the qualities of what it have and also try their best to achieve their vision or something. I would agree, there are many things out there which can be chosen as the national icon of Singapore, but personally, even though I will admit that when I think about Singapore, it's when school re-openes, the Merlion, Ferris Wheel, Chicken Rice and stuff,  I don't think the Merlion actually totally defines the idea of Singapore,