National flag and state ensign. Flag ratio: 1:2

The flag of Malaysia, or known as Jalur Gemilang ("Stripes of Glory") comprises a field of 14 alternating red and white stripes along the fly and a blue canton bearing a crescent and a 14-point star known as the Bintang Persekutuan or Federal Star. The 14 stripes, of equal width, represent the equal status in the federation of the 13 member states and the federal government, while the 14 points of the star represent the unity between these entities. ^[1] The crescent represents Islam, the country's official religion; the yellow of the star and crescent is the royal colour of the Malay rulers; the blue canton symbolizes the unity of the Malaysian people. This blue canton was originally chosen to represent a connection between the federation and the Commonwealth but this was gradually downplayed and eventually supplanted by its current interpretation. ^[2] Image File history File links Flag_of_Malaysia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Malaysia. ... Image File history File links FIAV_110010. ... The design and description of flags typically uses specialised flag terminology with precise and technical meanings, and is hence a form of jargon. ... The design and description of flags typically uses specialised flag terminology with precise and technical meanings, and is hence a form of jargon. ... Malaysia is a federation of 13 states. ... A typical presentation of the star and crescent The star and crescent is a symbol consisting of a crescent with a star at the concave side. ... Islam (Arabic:  ) is a monotheistic religion based upon the teachings of Muhammad, a 7th century Arab religious and political figure. ... The Rulers of the Malay States in Malaysia are the seven Sultans of Kedah, Perak, Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Selangor and Johor, the Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan and the Raja of Perlis. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ...

Though its design is similar to the flag of the United States, no substantive connection has been established.^[3]

In blazon, the Malaysian flag is described as: "A banner Gules, seven bars Argent; the canton Azure charged with decrescent and mullet of fourteen points Or." This means "a red flag with seven horizontal white stripes; the upper-left (hoist) quarter is blue with a yellow waning crescent (i.e. horns pointing to sinister) and a yellow 14-pointed star." This is an article about Heraldry. ... In heraldry, a charge is an image occupying the field on an escutcheon (or shield). ... In heraldry, a charge is an image occupying the field on an escutcheon (or shield). ... Sinister means left or to the left, and is a heraldry term referring to the left of the bearer of the arms, and to the right by the viewers eyes. ...

[edit] Federal Star (Bintang Persekutuan)

The Federal Star, which is similar in concept of Australia's Commonwealth Star, is also used on the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) flag, the Royal Malaysian Air Force roundel, and the United Malayan Banking Association (UMBC) logo. Commonwealth Star as the crest of Coat of Arms of Australia. ... MCA Flag The Malaysian Chinese Association (Persatuan Cina Malaysia, MCA) (Simplified Chinese: ; pinyin: Mǎ Huá Gōng Huì; Cantonese: Ma Wah Koong Wui) is a political party in Malaysia, made up of Chinese Malaysian and one of the three major parties that make up the ruling Barisan Nasional, or National... The Royal Malaysian Air Force (Malay: Tentera Udara DiRaja Malaysia) was formed in 1958 as the Royal Malayan Air Force (Tentera Udara Diraja Persekutuan). ... The modern proportion RAF roundel A roundel in heraldry is any circular shape; in military use it is a distinctive, mostly round insignia or identifying emblem, commonly painted today on military aircraft to indicate which nations air force or navy they belong to. ...

[edit] Maritime flags

Civil ensign. Flag ratio: 1:2

Naval ensign. Flag ratio: 1:2

• Civilian vessels use as a civil ensign a red flag with the Jalur Gemilang in a blue-fimbriated canton.
• Government vessels use the Jalur Gemilang as the state ensign.
• Ships of the Royal Malaysian Navy use as a naval ensign a white flag with the Jalur Gemilang in a red-fimbriated canton and an emblem consisting of an anchor and two crossed traditional kris daggers in the fly.

Image File history File links Civil_Ensign_of_Malaysia. ... Image File history File links Civil_Ensign_of_Malaysia. ... Image File history File links FIAV_000100. ... Image File history File links Naval_Ensign_of_Malaysia. ... Image File history File links Naval_Ensign_of_Malaysia. ... Image File history File links FIAV_000001. ... The civil ensign (a. ... In heraldry and vexillology, fimbriation refers to small strips of colour placed around common charges or ordinaries in order for them to stand out from the background. ... Royal Malaysian Navy ensign Image:Royal Malaysian Navy crest. ... A naval ensign is the flag used by a countrys navy on their ships. ...

[edit] Other ensigns

Air Force ensign. Flag ratio: 1:2

Flag of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

• Malaysian Army: red flag with the Jalur Gemilang in the canton and the army emblem in the fly.
• Royal Malaysian Air Force: a pale blue flag with the Jalur Gemilang in the canton and a federal star in the fly.
• Malaysian Coast Guard: a dark blue ensign with the Jalur Gemilang in the canton.

Image File history File links Royal_Malaysian_Air_Force_Flag. ... Image File history File links Royal_Malaysian_Air_Force_Flag. ... Image File history File links FIAV_001000. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Supreme_Head_of_Malaysia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Supreme_Head_of_Malaysia. ... Flag of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia Yang di-Pertuan Agong, a Malay title usually translated as Supreme Head, Supreme Ruler or Paramount Ruler, is the official title of the constitutional head of state of the federation of Malaysia. ... Malaysian Army ensign Crest of Malaysian Army The Malaysian Army (Malay: Tentera Darat Malaysia) is the land component of the Malaysian Armed Forces. ... The Royal Malaysian Air Force (Malay: Tentera Udara DiRaja Malaysia) was formed in 1958 as the Royal Malayan Air Force (Tentera Udara Diraja Persekutuan). ... The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (Malay:Agensi Penguatkuasa Maritim Malaysia) also known as Malaysian Coast Guard is a branch of Military of Malaysia. ...

[edit] History

Flag ratio: 1:2. The Flag of Malaya in use from 1950 to 1963

The flag of Malaysia, which was first raised on September 16, 1963, originated from the flag of the Federation of Malaya. Image File history File links Flag_of_Malaya. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Malaya. ... Image File history File links FIAV_110010. ... // 1400 - Owain Glyndŵr declared Prince of Wales by his followers. ... Year 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

After the British started to collectively administer the eleven states of Malaya as a single entity, the idea of having a national flag was mooted. Prior to that, each state in Malaya had its own flag, many of which are unchanged in design to this very day.

[edit] Selection

When the Federation of Malaya replaced the short lived Malayan Union, the federation government through the Federal Legislative Council called for a design contest for a new flag. Three flags were forwarded to the public. The first flag had 11 white stars with two Malay kris daggers in the middle against a blue backdrop. The second flag "concentric circle of 11 stars around crossed keris on a blue field." The third "had 11 alternate red and white stripes and a yellow crescent and a five-pointed star on a blue background in the top left hand corner." The third design - by Mohamad Hamzah of the Public Works Department - was chosen as the winner through a public poll held by the Malay Mail. ^[4]Since Malaya was fighting the communists during the Malayan Emergency, the five-pointed star had the uncanny resemblance with the communists' symbols. Therefore, the star was modified to accommodate six more points. The Federation of Malaya, or in Malay Persekutuan Tanah Melayu, was formed in 1948 from the British settlements of Penang and Malacca and the nine Malay states and replaced the Malayan Union. ... The Malayan Union was formed on April 1, 1946 by the British. ... The Federal Legislative Council was the legislative body of Federation of Malaya and the predecessor the the Malaysian Parliament. ... Kris from Yogyakarta - Dapur Carubuk The kris or keris is a distinctive, asymmetrical dagger indigenous to Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Southern Thailand and the southern Philippines. ... The Malay Mail is a Malaysian tabloid. ... Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) Known as the Malayan Communist Party (MCP) until the 1960s. ... The Malayan Emergency was an insurrection and guerrilla war of the Malay Races Liberation Army against the British and Malayan administration from 1948-1960 in what is now Malaysia. ...

The Malayan flag was approved by King George VI on 19 May 1950 and was first raised in front of Istana Selangor on 26 May 1950. On 31 August 1957, it was raised upon independence at Merdeka Square in place of the British Union Flag. George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions from 11 December 1936 until his death. ... May 19 is the 139th day of the year (140th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 26 is the 146th day of the year (147th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... August 31 is the 243rd day of the year (244th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar). ... This article needs to be wikified. ...

[edit] The Designer

The Malayan flag was designed by Mohamed Hamzah, a 29-year-old architect working for the Public Works Department (JKR) in Johor Bahru, Johor. He entered the Malayan flag design competition in 1947 with two designs which he completed within two weeks. The first design was a green flag with blue kris in the middle, surrounded by 15 white stars. The second design, which was among the three finalists, was similar to the current flag but with a five-pointed star. The competition attracted 373 entries and voting was made by the general public via post. Malayan senior statesman Dato' Onn Jaafar met with Mohamed Hamzah after he won the competition and suggested that the star be changed to an 11-pointed one to represent all the Malayan states. Nickname: Motto: Berkhidmat, Berbudaya, Berwawasan (English: Servicing, cultured, visionary) Location in Malaysia Coordinates: Country Malaysia State Johor Establishment 1855 Granted city status 1994 Government  - Mayor Latiff Yusof Area  - City 185 km²  (72. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Dato Sir Onn Bin Jaafar (1895-January 19, 1962) was a Malay politician and a Menteri Besar (Chief Minister) of Johor in Malaysia, then Malaya. ...

Mohamed Hamzah died just short of his 75th birthday on 13 February 1993 in Jalan Stulang Baru, Kampung Melayu Majidee, Johor. February 13 is the 44th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ...

[edit] Modifications

Following the formation of Malaysia on September 16, 1963, the design of the Malayan flag was modified to reflect and honour the new states in the federation. // 1400 - Owain Glyndŵr declared Prince of Wales by his followers. ... Year 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Three additional stripes were added to the existing flag and the star was given 14 points to reflect the federation of the original 11 states in Malaya plus Sabah, Sarawak, and Singapore; this design remained the same even after Singapore's expulsion from the federation two years later. When Kuala Lumpur was designated a federal territory on February 1, 1972, the additional stripe and the point in the star were appropriated to represent this new addition to the federation. Eventually, with the addition of two other federal territories — Labuan in 1984 and Putrajaya in 2001 — the fourteenth stripe and point in the star came to be associated with the federal government in general. State motto: Sabah Maju Jaya State anthem: Sabah Tanah Airku Capital Kota Kinabalu Ruling party Barisan Nasional  - Yang di-Pertua Negeri Ahmadshah Abdullah  - Ketua Menteri Musa Aman History    - Brunei Sultanate 19th century   - British North Borneo 1882   - Japanese occupation 1941-1945   - British control 1946   - Accession into Malaysia 1963  Area  - Total 76... State motto: United, Industrious, Dedicated (Malay: Bersatu, Berusaha, Berbakti ) Capital Kuching Governor T.Y.T Tun Datuk Patinggi Abang Muhammad Salahuddin Chief Minister Y.A.B. Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Haji Abdul Taib Bin Mahmud / Pehin Sri Dr. Hj. ... On 16 September 1963, Singapore joined the Federation of Malaya together with Sabah and Sarawak to form Malaysia. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Wilayah Persekutuan is the Malay term for Federal Territory. ... February 1 is the 32nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Motto: Coordinates: Country Malaysia State Wilayah Persekutuan Made into Federal Territory 16 April 1984 Government  - Administered by Perbadanan Labuan Labuan Corporation  - Chairman Datuk Suhaili Abdul Rahman Area  - City 92 km²  (35. ... Motto: Bandar raya Taman, Bandar raya Bestari (English : The Garden City, The Smart City ) Coordinates: Country Malaysia State Wilayah Persekutuan Establishment 1995, October 19th Made into Federal Territory 2001, February 1st Government  - Administered by Perbadanan Putrajaya Putrajaya Corporation  - Chairman Samsudin Osman Area  - City 46 km²  (17. ...

In 1997, when Malaysians were invited to name the flag, then Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir bin Mohammad picked the name Jalur Gemilang to project the country's onward drive towards continuous growth and success. Mahathir bin Mohamad (born July 10, 1925) was the Prime Minister of Malaysia from 1981 to 2003. ...

[edit] Mark of Respect

During the National Day celebrations, everyone is encouraged to fly the Jalur Gemilang at their homes, office buildings, shops and corporate premises.

• If the flag is fixed at home, it is to be raised pointing towards the road.
• If the flag is put in a group of flags with state and private company flags, the Malaysian flag must be raised in between two flags and its pole placed higher than the rest.

[edit] Gallery

Federated Malay States Flag from 1896 to 1950

Malaya Flag from 1950 to 1963

Malaysia Flag in current use

Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The Federated Malay States (FMS) was a federation of four states on the Malay Peninsula - Pahang, Perak, Selangor, and Negeri Sembilan - established by the British government in 1895, and lasted until 1946, when they together with the Straits Settlements and the Unfederated Malay States formed the Malayan Union. ... 1:2. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Malaya. ... The Federation of Malaya, or in Malay Persekutuan Tanah Melayu, was formed in 1948 from the British settlements of Penang and Malacca and the nine Malay states and replaced the Malayan Union. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Malaysia. ...

[edit] Flag anthem

The Jalur Gemilang flag anthem was introduced on 2000. The songs and lyrics was written by Pak Ngah.

[edit] Original lyrics

Merah membara semangat waja

Putihmu bersih budi pekerti

Kuning berdaulat payung negara

Biru perpaduan kami semua

Puncak dunia telah kau tawan

Lautan luas telah kau redah

Membawa semangat jiwa Merdeka

Semangat jaya kami warganya

Empat belas melintang jalurnya

Semua negeri dalam Malaysia

Satu suara satu semangat

Itu sumpah warga berdaulat

Jalur Gemilang dibawah naunganmu

Jalur Gemilang kami semua bersatu

Perpaduan kedaulatan

Amalan murni rakyat Malaysia

Jalur Gemilang megah kami terasa

Jalur Gemilang kibarkanlah wawasan

Merah, putih, biru, kuning

Jalur semangat kami semua

(2x)

Berkibarlah, berkibarlah, berkibarlah

Jalur Gemilang!

[edit] English translation

Blazing red with steely will

White so clean and kind of character

Sovereign yellow, the country's protector

Blue for all of us in unity

You have reached the heights of the world

You have traversed the wide waters

Bearing the spirit of Merdeka ('independence')

We are members of its successful will

Fourteen stripes across it

All the states of Malaysia

One voice, one spirit

So its sovereign citizens solemnly swear

Jalur Gemilang, beneath your care

Jalur Gemilang, we unite

Sovereign unity

Malaysian citizens' good charity

Jalur Gemilang, how proud we feel

Jalur Gemilang, proclaim our vision

Red, white, blue, yellow

Are the stripes of our resolve

(2x)

Fly, fly, fly

Jalur Gemilang!

Dataran Merdeka, or Independence Square. ... Wawasan 2020 is a slogan in Malaysia that stands for a vision of a more developed future Malaysia: a self-sufficient industrial develeped nation, complete with an economy that will be eightfold stronger by the year 2020 (as Greider describes it). ...

[edit] References

1. ^ Flags Of The World Malaysia: Description
2. ^ Flags Of The World Malaysia: Origins
3. ^ Flags Of The World Malaysia: Origins
4. ^ Sonia Ramachandran. Golden Merdeka Memories: National flag chosen by people in one of country's first public polls. New Straits Times. August 18, 2006.

The New Straits Times is a Malaysian English-language newspaper. ... August 18 is the 230th day of the year (231st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ...

[edit] See also

• List of patriotic songs
• Emblem of Malaysia
• National flags inspired by the flag of Turkey
• Gallery of flags with crescents

A patriotic song is a song that demonstrates love for ones country. ... Current crest. ... Flag of Turkey Since the constitution of Republic of Turkey by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in 1923 many newly independent countries in the 20th century, all of them with Turkic, Ottoman and/or Islamic roots and some inspired by the republican Kemalist way of government, adopted flags adorned with the... This is a gallery of flags which use the crescent as a feature of their design. ...

[edit] External links

• Malaysia at Flags of the World
• Jalur Gemilang mp3

Screenshot of the Flags of the World website Official flag Flags of the World (or FOTW) is the Internets largest website devoted to vexillology, containing comprehensive information about all kinds of flags. ...