The Malaysian flag, also known as the Jalur Gemilang (Stripes of Glory), and the Malaysian coat of arms are symbols of the nation’s stateliness and sovereignty.  The Government encourages the flying of the Jalur Gemilang particularly during the Month of Independence in August as an expression of love, loyalty and pride for the country.

The Jalur Gemilang

The Malaysian flag or Jalur Gemilang consists of 14 horizontal red and white stripes of equal width (along the fly), representing the 13 component States and the Federal Government.

The canton of dark blue in the upper quarter next to the staff and extending down to the top of the fifth stripe stands for the unity of the people of Malaysia. The union contains a crescent which symbolises Islam, the official religion of Malaysia.

The 14 points of the star signify the unity of the 13 states with the Federal Government. The colour yellow signifies the royal colour of the Rulers.

The Coat of Arms of Malaysia

The coat of arms or armorial ensign of Malaysia shows a 14-pointed star representing the 13 constituent states within the Federation of Malaysia together with the Federal Government, while the star and the crescent together symbolise Islam as the official religion of Malaysia.

The five Kris represents the five former Unfederated Malay States (Johor, Kedah, Perlis, Kelantan and Terengganu). The left-hand division of the shield represents the state of Penang and the right-hand section shows the Malacca tree that depicts the State of Malacca. These two states formed part of the former Straits Settlements.

In the four equal sized panels in the centre, the colours black and white are colours of the State of Pahang; red and yellow are colours of the State of Selangor; black, white and yellow are the colours of the State of Perak; and red, black and yellow those of the State of Negeri Sembilan. These four States formed the original Federated Malay States. The three sections below represent the State of Sabah on the left and the State of Sarawak on the right.

In the centre is the hibiscus, the national flower. Flanking the shield are tigers, a design element retained from the earlier armorial ensign of the Federation of Malaya (and before that, of the Federated Malay States).

The motto in Romanised-script on the left and Jawi (Arabic) script on the right reads “Bersekutu Bertambah Mutu”, the Malay equivalent of “Unity is Strength”. The yellow colour of the scroll is the royal colour of the Rulers.