Flags of the Malaysian states
This list of the flags of the Malaysian states gives a brief explanation of the flags of the Malaysian states and territories.
history
The Malaya Federation was granted independence in 1957. There were plans to expand the federation to include the areas of Singapore , Sarawak , Brunei and Sabah, which were still under British rule . However, these were rejected by Brunei in 1962. When the Philippines made legal claims on Sabah in 1963, they turned against the planned confederation and filed a lawsuit with the International Court of Justice .
In 1963 Indonesia also opposed the incorporation of the states of Sarawak and Sabah , located on the island of Borneo , into the proposed federation, supported the Philippines in their claims and sent militants to the affected areas. The Malaya Federation was expanded to include Sarawak and Sabah and Singapore. The new confederation was named the Federation of Malaysia. Brunei remained a British protectorate and became independent in 1984.
The fact that each state and each federal territory has its own national emblems underscores their autonomy within the federation. The three federal territories also have an additional common flag.
list
| location | flag | Explanations |
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| States (Malacca Peninsula) | ||
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Johor , JHR, formerly Johore (Dschohor; Jawi:جوهور, translated: Precious stones ) is the southernmost state. Johor was originally part of the Lingga Sultanate and used its black flag. In 1871 the new flag was introduced, which shows the Islamic symbolism crescent and star. The design was based on the British system. The blue field in the flag stands for the administration, the red Gösch for Hulabalang -Kriegerkaste, the crescent and the star for the ruler. |
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Kedah , KDH, (Jawi:قدح, formerly also Queda) is located on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula on the Andaman Sea . In the north, Kedah borders on Thailand. The Langkawi archipelago also belongs to Kedah . The red in the flag could possibly go back to the flag of Siam. Red is now the traditional color of Kedah, the yellow ears of wheat in the national coat of arms symbolize prosperity, the green crescent Islam and the shield sovereignty. |
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Kelantan , KTN, (also Kalantan; Jawi:كلنتن) in the north of the Malay Peninsula is considered the cradle of Malay culture. When Kelantan broke away from Siam in 1832 , a single color white flag was used, which was retained until 1912. In 1923 the current flag was introduced. It shows a red flag cloth with a white crescent moon and star, a reference to Islam. Next to it are white torches and spears. The red may go back to the flag of Siam. It is supposed to symbolize the sincerity of the people. |
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Malacca , MLK, (Jawi:ملاك) is the third smallest state and is located on the south-eastern coast of the Malay Peninsula on the Strait of Malacca , halfway between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. The colors of the flag come from the Federation flag. Crescent and star symbolize Islam. Red and white are the Malay national colors, yellow stands for the state itself, and blue is reminiscent of British influence. |
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Negeri Sembilan , NSN, (in Jawi:نڬري سمبيلن" Nine States ") is located on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula. The name comes from the nine earlier states or "Nagari" that were settled by the Minangkabau . Negeri Sembilan initially used a solid red flag. It was not until the beginning of the 20th century that Negeri Sembilan adopted a solid yellow flag with a black and red top corner. Today's flag reflects the structure of power. Yellow stands for the ruler, the black triangle the district of the ruler and the red triangle for the people. |
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Pahang , PHG, (Jawi:ڤهڠ) is the largest state on the Malay Peninsula. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Pahang was dependent on the Sultanate of Linnga and used its black flag, but added a white stripe on the leech . In 1887 he declared himself independent as Sultan of Linnga and adopted a white flag, because white stands for the power of the sultan in most Malay states. In 1903, Pahang adopted the current flag. The white of the flag represents the ruler because white can change to any other color. Black, on the other hand, stands for the steadfast people. |
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Penang , PNG, (Pulau Pinang; Jawi:بينانج) is an island that also includes a coastal strip of the Malay Peninsula. The blue of the flag represents the blue sea and islands of the state. White stands for peace and the serenity of the state and yellow for prosperity. The tree is a pinang or betel nut palm , after which the state is named. |
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Perak , PRK, (Jawi:ڤيرق; dt. silver ) is one of the largest states of Malaysia. It is important because the world's largest tin deposits are located here. In the 17th century Perak was dependent on the Sultanate of Aceh and probably used its red flag. With the growing influence of Great Britain, Perak adopted the new flag with the three horizontal stripes in the 19th century, which consciously connects the colors of the highest dignitaries: white is the color of the Sultan, yellow is the color of the Temenggong , black is the color of the Bendahara . Both are members of the royal family and advisors to the ruler. |
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Perlis , PLS, (Jawi:ﭬﺮليس) actually Perlis Indera Kayangan, is the northwesternmost and smallest state. Probably the Sultanate of Perlis originally also used a single-colored red flag, like the other sultanates that were under the influence of the Sultanate of Aceh . The current flag probably dates from the 19th century and symbolizes the cooperation between the ruler (yellow) and the people (blue). |
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Located on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula, the state of Selangor , SGR, (Jawi:سلاڠور) with Port Klang , the largest Malaysian overseas port, surrounds the federal territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya. In the flag, yellow and red stand for flesh and blood, the combination of which gives rise to the strength of the state. The star, crescent and the color white represent the purity of Islam. The four quarters stand for the four districts that were previously independent sultanates . |
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Terengganu , TRG, (Jawi:ترڠڬانو) is located near the Thai border. The Perhentian Islands and Redang, which belong to the state, are located in the Gulf of Thailand, with which Terengganu has 225 kilometers of coastline. Terengganu was originally part of Siam. When it broke away from Siam in 1832, a plain white flag was used. Later the flag went black and only the first third of the flagpole remained as a white stripe. The white border of the flag shows that the ruler is responsible for the welfare and protection of the people (black). The star and the crescent stand for Islam. |
| States (Borneo) | ||
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Sabah , SBH, (Jawi:سابه; from arab.الصباح / aṣ-ṣabāḥ / 'the morning') is the smaller of the two states of East Malaysia on the island of Borneo . Sabah used to be known as the "land under the wind" due to its location below the typhoon belt. The flag is striped with an ice-blue upper corner in which the royal blue silhouette of the Kinabalu Mountain is located. Zircon blue stands for peace, ice blue for unity, royal blue for cooperation and strength. White symbolizes purity and justice and chili red symbolizes bravery. Together, the five colors stand for the five districts of the state whose symbol is the Kinabalu. |
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Sarawak , SRW, Jawi:سراوق, is located on the island of Borneo and is the second province, next to Sabah, that make up East Malaysia. The current flag replaced a flag similar to the Czechoslovak one in 1988 . Yellow stands for law and order as well as unity and stability. The nine points of the star stand for the nine districts. Black symbolizes mineral resources and red the work of the people to create an exemplary state. |
| Federal territories | ||
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Kuala Lumpur , KUL, (Eng. "Muddy river mouth"; Jawi:كوالا لومڤور) is the largest city and at the same time also an administrative, cultural and economic center. Most of the residents simply call the city "KL". The flag of Kuala Lumpur shows the symbolism of the flag of Malaysia: fourteen white and red stripes, the blue, the yellow crescent moon and the yellow fourteen-pointed star. This shows that it is a federal territory. |
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Labuan , LBN, Jawi:لابوان, comprises a 75 km² island and six smaller islands off the coast of Sabah. The federal territory is known as an offshore financial center. Political affiliation is controversial between Brunei and Sabah, which presumably led to it being given federal territory status. The flag of Labuan shows the symbolism of the federal flag, its colors red, blue and white and the yellow crescent moon with a star, which also has fourteen points. This shows that it is a federal territory and not a state. |
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Putrajaya , PJY, (Jawi:ڤوتراجاي; formerly Prang Besar) is the new administrative center of Malaysia and one of the federal territories alongside Kuala Lumpur and Labuan. It takes its name from the first Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra. The Putrajaya flag was introduced on the occasion of the establishment of the federal territory in 1995 and shows three vertical stripes in the colors blue, yellow and blue. The yellow median is twice as wide and has the coat of arms of Malaysia in the middle . |