State Flag of the Federation of Malaysia (1963)

The current national flag of Malaysia is based on a design adopted in 1950 by the then Federation of Malaya, a British protectorate, which would eventually become Malaysia.

The original flag featured 11 red and white stripes, with a crescent moon and an 11-point star placed on a blue canton.

The Federation of Malaya gained independence on the 31st of August 1957 and on the 16th of September 1963 united with Singapore and the north Borneo territories of Sabah (formerly North Borneo) and Sarawak to form the Federation of Malaysia.

To mark the inclusion of Singapore and the Borneo states to the federation, an additional 3 stripes were added to the field of the flag and 3 points to the star in the canton. 

The current flag of Malaysia was adopted on the 16th of September 1963. 

This flag has continued to be used despite the departure of Singapore from the federation in 1965.

The Symbolic Meaning

The 14 red and white stripes and the 14-points of the star represent the 13 member states of the Malaysian federation and the Federal District of Kuala Lumpur. 

They symbolise the equal status in the federation of the member states and the federal government. 

The crescent and star symbolise Islam, the dominant religion in Malaysia and yellow is a traditional royal colour.

The blue canton symbolises the unity of the people of Malaysia. The blue was originally adopted from the Union Flag or Union Jack of Great Britain and represented Malaysia's historical link to the British Commonwealth.