Malaysia Flag Symbolizing Unity Among the States

The Malaysia flag, also known as the Jalur Gemilang (Stripes of Glory), has 14 red and white stripes with equal width (along the fly) which stand for the equal status in the federation of the member states and the federal government of the country.

The dark blue canton represents the unity and harmony of the people of Malaysia. The canton includes a crescent moon which symbolizes Islam, the official religion practiced in the country.

It also includes a 14-pointed star which symbolizes the unity of the 13 states of the federation plus the federal government (Perlis, Kedah, Perak, Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Johor, Malacca, Negri Sembilan, Selangor, Penang, Sabah, Sarawak and the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur and Labuan). The yellow color used in the crescent and in the star is the color of royalty.

Symbols of the country's status and sovereignty, the Malaysia flag and the Malaysian coat of arms reflect the peoples strength in unity. August is the Month of Independence and the government encourages everyone to display the Malaysia flag to express their loyalty, pride, and love for the country.

Origins of the Malaysia Flag

The current Malaysia flag was first raised on September 16, 1963, the flag of Malaysia was born out of the original flag of the Federation of Malaya.

The Malayan flag was designed by Mohamed Hamzah, a 29-year-old architect working for the Public Works Department (JKR) in Johor Bahru, Johor.

Malaysia consists of a federation of monarchies and is also a member of the British Commonwealth.

The federation is probably represented by the red and white stripes which was an innovation of the early American colonies. Also, several red and white striped flags were chosen by, or enforced on, Dutch colonies in Southeast Asia in the 19th Century.

After World War II, the U.S. was considered the liberator and role model to the world with an easily recognizable "Stars and Stripes" flag. Since the American flag is a federalist flag it was an obvious choice as a model for the design.

Inspiration was probably also drawn from some of the existing Commonwealth flags. For example, the flag of India may have been a basis with an addition of an "element of unity". Australian and Canadian flags may have also been considered with the idea that these flags were 'too British' with the Union Jack on them.

Coat of Arms of Malaysia

The Malaysian coat of arms displays a 14 pointed star corresponding to the 13 component states within the Federation of Malaysia plus the federal government. Together, the star and crescent represent Islam as Malaysia's official religion.

Across the top of the shield are 5 Kris which depict the 5 former Unfederated Malay States of Johor, Kedah, Perlis, Kelantan and Terengganu. The left side of the shield corresponds to the state of Penang and the right side is a Malacca tree representing the State of Malacca. The former Straits Settlement was in part formed by these 2 states.

In the middle there are 4 panels of equal size, The State of Penang represented by black and white; the State of Selangor represented by red and yellow; the State of Perak represented by black, white and yellow; the State of Negeri Sembilan represented by red, black and yellow. The original Federated Malay States were formed by these 4 states.

The 3 sections below the panels symbolize the State of Sabah on the left and the State of Sarawak on the right.

The national flower, the hibiscus, is in the center. Two tigers flank the shield, which is a design component continued from the previous armorial ensign of the Federation of Malaya.

The scroll at the bottom is yellow which is the royal color of the Rulers. Across the scroll in both Roman and Arabic script reads "Bersekutu Bertambah Mutu", which in Malay means "Unity is Strength". Both the coat of arms and the Malaysia flag promote unity of the federation.

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