Hello Charles,
I'm with Alan, this lion does not look traditional for SE Asia (nor China/India), as already noted in my earlier posting. As mentioned, European lions were not uncommon in the colonial context throughout the region. The Singapore merlion is a modern version though - obviously to establish a kind of logo unique for Singapore (aka marketing).
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I realize there has been some concern regarding the pommel, and I am only now back home and able to get pics on the thread. If you study the pics carefully you will see that the lion pommel loses all its detail at the line where the silver grip reaches it. You will also see that the silver is custom fitted to the features it encases.
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Well, the close-ups do seem to suggest that the mane of the lion did got cut along the sides and this "haircut" also seems to vary slightly on both sides (difficult to verify since the viewing angle is different in your pics). Apparently, the mane also got filed/sanded down along the neck IMVHO. You'll be the final judge since you can study these details in person...
The solid silver rim is missing from the sides and the small extension at the underside. Still, I don't believe that the silver rim is likely to have followed the remaining mane very neatly (if so, it had to be of varying width originally).
Thus, I believe a colonial/European lion got used by a Malay craftsman, possibly to repair a missing/broken pommel. I don't doubt that this sword has a nice balance due to the heavier pommel - does it resemble the feeling of a jian a bit?
Regards,
Kai