Flag of Brunei

Flag origins

Brunei’s flag has a yellow field, white and black diagonal bands and a red coat of arms in the center. Yellow represents the Sultan. White and black represent leading wazirs, specifically the Pengiran Bendahara and Pengiran Pemancha, respectively. They and the Sultan were principal signatories to the 1906 agreement with Britain, so their colors were combined. In the arms, the royal flag and parasol represent monarchy; the wings the protection of justice, tranquility, prosperity and peace; the hands the government’s duty to protect welfare, peace and prosperity; and the crescent Islam, the state religion. Arabic lettering on the crescent expresses service under God’s guidance. The lower ribbon reads Brunei Darussalam, meaning Brunei, Abode of Peace.

Flag story

The basic design dates to 1906. Before then, the Sultan and powerful officials used their own flags rather than one unified national design. When the British residential system was introduced, a flag representing Brunei as a state was needed. The Sultan’s yellow was combined with the white and black of the two principal officials who signed the agreement. The red arms were not part of that original design. They were added when the Constitution was promulgated in 1959. The flag was retained at full independence from Britain in 1984.

Editorial notes and references

Edited by ABELHA WORKS. The English text translates the administrator-edited Japanese description. Legends should be distinguished from documented history. General reference links do not substantiate every statement in the text.

• Brunei — general information on Wikipedia
• Japan MOFA: countries and regions (Japanese)

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