What Does Malaysia's Flag Symbolise?

Visit any city or state in Malaysia and see the Malaysian flag waving proudly from houses, offices and restaurants. With a similar style to the United States but without the stars, the appearance and symbolism are easy to understand. Here’s what the Malaysian flag looks like and why.

The Malaysian flag

Picture a rectangle with 14 red and white alternating stripes and a dark blue square in the top left-hand corner. The lines represent the 13 states of Malaysia and the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putra Jaya. Inside the square, the blue symbolises the harmony of Malaysian people, is a vertical half-moon and a star. The ‘C’-shaped moon signifies Islam. Each point on the 14-point star represents each of the Malaysian states and Federal territory in the same way as the stripes.

The origins of Malaysia’s flag

The intriguing story of Malaysia’s star

The original star featured 11 points. Three more were added when Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore joined Malaya. In 1965, however, Singapore left Malaysia becoming an independent nation. One extra point remained. A decade later, Kuala Lumpur became a Federal Territory along with Labuan and Putra Jaya in later years. The star’s fourteenth point today is often said to symbolise the Federal Government rather than any individual state.

Other flags in Malaysia

Each of Malaysia’s 13 states, as well as the Federal Territories, have their own flags. Visit different parts of the country and expect to see both the region and Malaysian national flag hanging side-by-side. Sabah often gets positive feedback for their design featuring Mount Kinabalu on a light blue background.

Flag of Sabah with the iconic Mount Kinabalu on a light blue background

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