National symbols of Malaysia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The national symbols of Malaysia are symbols that represent the government and culture of Malaysia. There are generally five recognised elements: the national emblem, national anthem, national flag, national flower and national language.[1][2] The first official symbols, flag and anthem were adopted in 1957. In addition, other traditional symbols are often cited, such as the national bird, national animal and national craft.[3][4] There are also popularly recognised symbols including the national airline, national colour, national dress, national sport, national poetry and national mausoleum.[5][6][7]
The national flag of Malaysia, also known as the Stripes of Glory (Jalur Gemilang),[8] is composed of 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 (Federal Star). The 14 stripes, of equal width, represent the equal status in the federation of the 13 member states and the federal territories, while the 14 points of the star represent the unity among these entities.[9] The crescent represents Islam, the country's state religion; the blue canton symbolises the unity of the Malaysian people; the yellow of the star and crescent is the royal colour of the Malay rulers,[10] the red stripes represent bravery and the white stripes represent purity.[11][12]
The Malaysian flag is similar in design to the flag of the United States of America which has 13 horizontal alternating red and white stripes with 50 stars.[13] There was a row of confusion in Kansas in September 2017 when Munir Zanial, a Muslim Malaysian aerospace engineer, hosted a party to celebrate Malaysian Independence Day and the end of Ramadan. The Malaysian flag was prominently displayed, which onlookers believed was an American flag defaced with symbols of the Islamic State. The FBI was notified which soon resolved the misunderstanding.[14]
Anthem
The Malaysian national anthem is called Negaraku (literally "My Country") which was adopted at the time of Malaya's independence from the United Kingdom in 1957.[1] The tune was originally used as the state anthem of Perak, "Allah Lanjutkan Usia Sultan".[15]
Coat of arms
The coat of arms of Malaysia (Jata Negara Malaysia) comprises a shield or escutcheon, two tigers for supporters, a crescent and fourteen-pointed star for a crest and a motto. The motto of the arms, located below the shield, consists of a banner with the phrase "Unity is Strength" (Bersekutu Bertambah Mutu).[16] As the coat of arms descended from that of the Federated Malay States under British colonial rule, it resembles European heraldic designs.[17]
