Flag of Malaysia

Flag origins

Malaysia's Jalur Gemilang, or Stripes of Glory, has fourteen red and white stripes and a blue canton containing a yellow crescent and fourteen-pointed star. Today the stripes and rays represent thirteen states and the federal government. Red signifies courage, white purity and integrity, blue national unity, yellow the Malay rulers, and the crescent Islam. Architect Mohamed Hamzah's proposal was selected from 373 entries in the 1949 competition and refined into the 1950 Malayan flag. The current nickname was announced in 1997.

Flag story

The original flag had eleven stripes and an eleven-pointed star. When Malaysia formed in 1963 with Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore, both counts became fourteen. Singapore left in 1965, but the flag did not change: fourteen was reinterpreted as thirteen states plus the federal government. The meaning changed while the design stayed the same.

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.

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

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