THE MALAYSIAN FLAG: Part 1 The Beginning
INTRODUCTION
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After the British intervened in the Malay States, starting with Perak (the Pangkor treaty, 1874), and went on to Selangor, Pahang and Negeri Sembilan; the states were later linked to form the Federated Malay States (FMS) in 1895. The Federated Malay States adopted a flag (seen below). This flag was used from 1895 to 1946.
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Malaya came under the Japanese occupation from 1942 to 1945 after defeating the British. When the British returned in 1945, the British Military Administration (BMA) was installed. Soon after, a new entity called Malayan Union was inaugurated on 1 April 1946 comprising the nine Malay states and the Settlements of Penang and Malacca. Singapore became a separate colony. British instituted indirect rule in Malaya prior to the Second World War. Malayan Union directly colonised Malaya. It was not known whether an official flag was ever used by the short-lived Malayan Union Government.
On 1 February, 1948, the Federation of Malaya was inaugurated replacing the Malayan Union which was rejected by the Malays. The new entity was a federation of states as opposed to union under the Malayan Union.
HOW THE FLAG OF FEDERATION OF MALAYA CAME INTO BEING
The idea for a Federation of Malaya Flag was mooted in the middle of 1949. A Committee under the Federal Legislative Council was formed to make recommendations for the design of the Flag (Federation of Malaya Order No. 61 of 1949). A competition was organised and announced in the newspapers.
The Malay Mail of 10 August, 1949, carried the following announcement on Page five:
Federation of Malaysia to have own flag
The Federation is to have its own flag and members of the public are invited to submit designs. The specification for the design, states an official release, is that it must be simple and should keep to the colours of yellow, red, white and blue with the general design symbolic of the Federation and the unity of the nine States and the two Settlements. (Please note the designated colours. I will touch on this later.)
Designers will have until September 10 to put forward their ideas which may include symbols such as a kris, cross krisses, a tiger or a crescent; They should be forwarded to the Clerk of the Council, Council Chambers, Kuala Lumpur.
The following committee will consider the designs submitted: The Chief Secretary, Sir Alex Newboult (chairman), the Menteris Besar of Pahang, Negeri Sembilan, and Johore; His Highness Tengku Yacob ibni Sultan Abdul Hamid and Enche Zainal (Abidin. In the report Abidin was left out) representing the Malay Members of the Legislative Council; The Resident Commissioner, Penang, Mr A. V. Aston, representing the Settlements; Mr H.H. Facer and Mr Yong Shook Lin, representing unofficial members of the Legislative Council.
A draughtsman at the Public Works Department in Johore Bahru, Johore, by the name of Mr Mohamed bin Hamzah, who read the announcement in The Straits Times, published in Singapore, dated 10 August 1949, decided to try his luck. He submitted four designs on 13 August 1949, merely three days after the announcement. The designs were sent under the following cover letter.
Source: http://eriyzaqistina.blogspot.com/
When the competition was closed on 10 September, a total of 373 designs were received by the committee.
After deliberations, the Committee selected three most promising designs and decided to ask the public to give their views.
"Principal account taken into consideration in making the selections, says the report, were that the design should indicate the unity of the nine States and the two Settlements and partnership with the United kingdom and symbolic of the Federation, and that it should be simple for ease of manufacture," (The Malay Mail, Nov. 15, 1949, pg. 1).
OPINION POLL IN THE MALAY MAIL
The Malay Mail, the only English daily published in Kuala Lumpur, ran an opinion poll asking its readers to participate in the ballot.
The poll headlined: Which Shall Be the Flag of Malaya? first appeared on the front page of The Malay Mail on 15th November, 1949. The three shortlisted designs were displayed with one above the other, the top one being the most favoured by the Committee. Ballot form to enable people to choose was only printed in later editions of the newspaper. There was space in the ballot for people to give suggestions or alterations to the designs.
The Utusan Melayu, which was then published in Singapore, also carried the news about the three designs. However, it placed the third design in second place, instead of last as in The Malay Mail.
As newspapers were printed in black and white then, there was a need to describe the colours of the flags. Based on the designs (in black and white) and the descriptions given the images were reconstructed. The three designs reproduced below showed an almost exact replica of the designs as printed in The Malay Mail.
Image by Farizah Mohd Safar based on the design and description which appeared as black and white in The Malay MailThe following explanation was printed under the first design: The design most favoured: Three colours, red white and blue have been incorporated in the design. Red appears on six of the existing States flags, white on five and blue on three. These colours also appear on the Jnion Jack and their use denotes the close of the federation of Malaya within the Commonwealth of Nations. The unity of the Federation is symbolised by the eleven white stars of equal size each star representing a State or Settlement. The stars are arranged in a circle equally spaced without denoting any particular order or arrangement of the States and Settlements. The Kris is a weapon of great antiquity peculiar to the countries of the Malay Archipelago and is a symbol of power and authority. The incorporation of the Kris identifies the flag with the Federation immediately.
Image by Farizah Mohd Safar based on the design and description which appeared as black and white in The Malay Mail
The following explanation was printed under the second design: Second choice. The explanation of this desgin is substantially the same as for the first except that the stars are arranged in two circles. The inner circle of five stars represents the five fomer Unfederated Malay States of Johore, Kelantan, Kedah, Trengganu anmd Perlis and the outer four former Federated malay States of Perak Selangor, Pahang and Negeri Sembilan and the Settlements of Penang and Malacca. (It is obvious these two designs were submitted by same designer. But who?)
Image by Farizah Mohd Safar based on the design and description which appeared as black and white in The Malay Mail
The following explanation appeared under the Third choice. The eleven blue and white stripes represent one State or Settlement. The Star and Crescent represent the Sultanate monarchies of the Malay States and the religion of the States. The red field represent British Protection and complete the three colours red, white and blue denoting the association of the federation with the Commonwealth of Nations. (It should be noted that the colour of the Star and Crescent was not stated in this first report. However,when The Malay Mail reprinted the poll over several days, it was stated as yellow. More on this colour issue later).
Below is the flag of Johore. It is interesting to note that the Crescent and the five-pointed stars in the red field in the third design and the flag of Johore bears an uncanny similarity. The designer of the third design was Mr Mohamed Hamzah who was a Johorean. Could the Johore flag inspired Mr Mohamed in his design of flag of Malaya?
As it turned out, majority of people who took part in the ballot, chose the third design. An informal vote was taken by the Federal Legislative Council. Design number 1 received 24 votes, and design number 9 received 47 votes.
These results were presented to the Conference of Rulers on 22 and 23 February, 1950. Discussions centred on design number 9.
The Malayan Government informed the British Government that it had officially adopted the Flag of the Federation of Malaya on 19th April, 1950. The flag was hoisted for the first time on 26th May, 1950 at the Istana Selangor, residence of the Sultan of Selangor. The Istana was in Kuala Lumpur, which was then part of Selangor. Attached with the letter were "three copies of facsimile in paper of the Flag of the Federation of Malaya".
In his letter to The Far Eastern Information Department of the Foreign Office, Acting Deputy Director, Department of Public Relations, Federation of Malaya, Mr Yaacob bin Abdul Latiff, wrote:
"It will be observed from the design that the Flag contains eleven red and white stripes and en evelen-pointed Star. These are symbolic if the unity of the nine States and two Settlements which make up the Federation of Malaya. The yellow colour used for the Star and Crescent is the Royal colour and represents the Sultane Monarchies of the Malay States. The three main colours -- red, white and blue represent partnership of the Federation of Malaya and the United Kingdom and the association of the Federation of Malaya with the Commonwealth of Nations." (CO 953 764 Information Policy Department). I snapped the paper Flag attached in the file with my mini camera. Unfortunately, the image was not sharp.
Source: FO 953 764 Information Policy Department (Image not sharp)
IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER
1. 10 August 1949 - Announcement of Contest for Design of Federation of Malaya flag appeared in The Straits Times.
2. Encik Mohamad Hamzah, a PWD draughtsman sent his submission of four designs on 13th August 1949. barely three days after the announcement appeared. At least one of the designs was short-listed and placed third.
3. Poll carried out by The Malay Mail
4. Decision by the Conference of Rulers
5. Hoisted for the first time on 26th May, 1950 at the Istana Selangor grounds, in Kuala Lumpur.
6. Two designs were presented to the Conference of Rulers meeting in Kuala Lumpur on Feb 22 and 23, 1950.
7. The Conference of Rulers discussed the flag on 23 Feb. 1950. Certain changes were suggested by the Malay Rulers.
8. On 19th April, 1950 the final design of the flag was approved and sent to King George VI, who gave his consent on 19 May 1950.
9. When Malaya attained Independence on 31 August, 1957 the flag was adopted as the National flag.
10. The flag was adopted as Malaysia's National flag when Malaysia came into being on 16th September, 1963.
11. It became known as Jalur Gemilang or Stripes of Glory on 31 August 1997, on the 40th anniversary of Malaysia's Independence.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
1. Farizah Mohd Safar helped redesiged the three proposals of the flags based on the description in The Malay Mail. The proposals in The Malay Mail appeared as black and white.
2. Faizal Mohd Safar assisted with the animation of the Malaysian flag.
Reference
1. Malaysian flag. Wikipedia (accessed on 20th Oct. 2009).
2. Sonia Ramachandran. 18th August 2006. National flag chosen by people in one of the country's first public polls. New Straits Times. (Sonia Ramachandran interviewed me for the story).
3. CO 537/6025. Political Developments: Minutes of the Proceedings of the Conference of Rulers.
The Malaysian Flag, popularly known as Jalur Gemilang or the Stripes of Glory, is a very important symbol of Malaysia. Its history began not with the formation of Malaysia but in 1949; more than a year after the Federation of Malaya was established. The flag had been hoisted in many places such as Mount Everest, the North Pole, the Antartica, and it went around the world and into space. From September 16, 2010, the flag has a greater and special meaning throughout the nooks and corners of the country.
From 2010, Malaysia Day on 16 September will be a public holiday and celebrated as a National Day, throughout the country together with August 31, which is the Merdeka Day, making it a twin celebration. The announcement by the Prime Minister Dato' Seri Najib Tun Razak on October 19, 2009 brought joy to the people of Sabah and Sarawak who have been asking for the day to be recognised as such. It will be the first time Malaysia Day will be celebrated on such a scale. Previously, only people in Sabah and Sarawak celebrated the auspious day.
A BRIEF HISTORY
A BRIEF HISTORY
Although there were many Sultanates in the Malay Peninsular prior to the coming of the Europeans, there were no available records of flags (or panji-panji) used by the Sultans. This gap may have to be filled by later researchers.
For the purpose of this article, the history of the Malaysian flag began with the coming of the British. The Union Jack was first hoisted in Penang when Capt. Francis Light took over the island for the British Crown in 1786 and renamed it The Prince of Wales Island. Likewise, the Union Jack was hoisted when the British took over Singapore and Malacca; and when it turned the Malay states of Perak, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, and later the other Malay states into British Protectorates.
Penang, Malacca and Singapore became settlements of the British East India Company (EIC). According to Wikipedia (accessed on 31 Oct. 2009), the EIC, founded in 1600, used a flag as seen below. This flag was used until 1858. Although there were red and white stripes in the EIC flag, it should not be construed that the flag of Malaysia was based on this flag.
After the British intervened in the Malay States, starting with Perak (the Pangkor treaty, 1874), and went on to Selangor, Pahang and Negeri Sembilan; the states were later linked to form the Federated Malay States (FMS) in 1895. The Federated Malay States adopted a flag (seen below). This flag was used from 1895 to 1946.
Malaya came under the Japanese occupation from 1942 to 1945 after defeating the British. When the British returned in 1945, the British Military Administration (BMA) was installed. Soon after, a new entity called Malayan Union was inaugurated on 1 April 1946 comprising the nine Malay states and the Settlements of Penang and Malacca. Singapore became a separate colony. British instituted indirect rule in Malaya prior to the Second World War. Malayan Union directly colonised Malaya. It was not known whether an official flag was ever used by the short-lived Malayan Union Government.
On 1 February, 1948, the Federation of Malaya was inaugurated replacing the Malayan Union which was rejected by the Malays. The new entity was a federation of states as opposed to union under the Malayan Union.
HOW THE FLAG OF FEDERATION OF MALAYA CAME INTO BEING
The idea for a Federation of Malaya Flag was mooted in the middle of 1949. A Committee under the Federal Legislative Council was formed to make recommendations for the design of the Flag (Federation of Malaya Order No. 61 of 1949). A competition was organised and announced in the newspapers.
The Malay Mail of 10 August, 1949, carried the following announcement on Page five:
Federation of Malaysia to have own flag
The Federation is to have its own flag and members of the public are invited to submit designs. The specification for the design, states an official release, is that it must be simple and should keep to the colours of yellow, red, white and blue with the general design symbolic of the Federation and the unity of the nine States and the two Settlements. (Please note the designated colours. I will touch on this later.)
Designers will have until September 10 to put forward their ideas which may include symbols such as a kris, cross krisses, a tiger or a crescent; They should be forwarded to the Clerk of the Council, Council Chambers, Kuala Lumpur.
The following committee will consider the designs submitted: The Chief Secretary, Sir Alex Newboult (chairman), the Menteris Besar of Pahang, Negeri Sembilan, and Johore; His Highness Tengku Yacob ibni Sultan Abdul Hamid and Enche Zainal (Abidin. In the report Abidin was left out) representing the Malay Members of the Legislative Council; The Resident Commissioner, Penang, Mr A. V. Aston, representing the Settlements; Mr H.H. Facer and Mr Yong Shook Lin, representing unofficial members of the Legislative Council.
A draughtsman at the Public Works Department in Johore Bahru, Johore, by the name of Mr Mohamed bin Hamzah, who read the announcement in The Straits Times, published in Singapore, dated 10 August 1949, decided to try his luck. He submitted four designs on 13 August 1949, merely three days after the announcement. The designs were sent under the following cover letter.
Source: http://eriyzaqistina.blogspot.com/When the competition was closed on 10 September, a total of 373 designs were received by the committee.
After deliberations, the Committee selected three most promising designs and decided to ask the public to give their views.
"Principal account taken into consideration in making the selections, says the report, were that the design should indicate the unity of the nine States and the two Settlements and partnership with the United kingdom and symbolic of the Federation, and that it should be simple for ease of manufacture," (The Malay Mail, Nov. 15, 1949, pg. 1).
OPINION POLL IN THE MALAY MAIL
The Malay Mail, the only English daily published in Kuala Lumpur, ran an opinion poll asking its readers to participate in the ballot.
The poll headlined: Which Shall Be the Flag of Malaya? first appeared on the front page of The Malay Mail on 15th November, 1949. The three shortlisted designs were displayed with one above the other, the top one being the most favoured by the Committee. Ballot form to enable people to choose was only printed in later editions of the newspaper. There was space in the ballot for people to give suggestions or alterations to the designs.
The Utusan Melayu, which was then published in Singapore, also carried the news about the three designs. However, it placed the third design in second place, instead of last as in The Malay Mail.
As newspapers were printed in black and white then, there was a need to describe the colours of the flags. Based on the designs (in black and white) and the descriptions given the images were reconstructed. The three designs reproduced below showed an almost exact replica of the designs as printed in The Malay Mail.
Image by Farizah Mohd Safar based on the design and description which appeared as black and white in The Malay MailThe following explanation was printed under the first design: The design most favoured: Three colours, red white and blue have been incorporated in the design. Red appears on six of the existing States flags, white on five and blue on three. These colours also appear on the Jnion Jack and their use denotes the close of the federation of Malaya within the Commonwealth of Nations. The unity of the Federation is symbolised by the eleven white stars of equal size each star representing a State or Settlement. The stars are arranged in a circle equally spaced without denoting any particular order or arrangement of the States and Settlements. The Kris is a weapon of great antiquity peculiar to the countries of the Malay Archipelago and is a symbol of power and authority. The incorporation of the Kris identifies the flag with the Federation immediately. Image by Farizah Mohd Safar based on the design and description which appeared as black and white in The Malay MailThe following explanation was printed under the second design: Second choice. The explanation of this desgin is substantially the same as for the first except that the stars are arranged in two circles. The inner circle of five stars represents the five fomer Unfederated Malay States of Johore, Kelantan, Kedah, Trengganu anmd Perlis and the outer four former Federated malay States of Perak Selangor, Pahang and Negeri Sembilan and the Settlements of Penang and Malacca. (It is obvious these two designs were submitted by same designer. But who?)
Image by Farizah Mohd Safar based on the design and description which appeared as black and white in The Malay Mail
The following explanation appeared under the Third choice. The eleven blue and white stripes represent one State or Settlement. The Star and Crescent represent the Sultanate monarchies of the Malay States and the religion of the States. The red field represent British Protection and complete the three colours red, white and blue denoting the association of the federation with the Commonwealth of Nations. (It should be noted that the colour of the Star and Crescent was not stated in this first report. However,when The Malay Mail reprinted the poll over several days, it was stated as yellow. More on this colour issue later).
Below is the flag of Johore. It is interesting to note that the Crescent and the five-pointed stars in the red field in the third design and the flag of Johore bears an uncanny similarity. The designer of the third design was Mr Mohamed Hamzah who was a Johorean. Could the Johore flag inspired Mr Mohamed in his design of flag of Malaya?
As it turned out, majority of people who took part in the ballot, chose the third design. An informal vote was taken by the Federal Legislative Council. Design number 1 received 24 votes, and design number 9 received 47 votes.
These results were presented to the Conference of Rulers on 22 and 23 February, 1950. Discussions centred on design number 9.
The Malayan Government informed the British Government that it had officially adopted the Flag of the Federation of Malaya on 19th April, 1950. The flag was hoisted for the first time on 26th May, 1950 at the Istana Selangor, residence of the Sultan of Selangor. The Istana was in Kuala Lumpur, which was then part of Selangor. Attached with the letter were "three copies of facsimile in paper of the Flag of the Federation of Malaya".
In his letter to The Far Eastern Information Department of the Foreign Office, Acting Deputy Director, Department of Public Relations, Federation of Malaya, Mr Yaacob bin Abdul Latiff, wrote:
"It will be observed from the design that the Flag contains eleven red and white stripes and en evelen-pointed Star. These are symbolic if the unity of the nine States and two Settlements which make up the Federation of Malaya. The yellow colour used for the Star and Crescent is the Royal colour and represents the Sultane Monarchies of the Malay States. The three main colours -- red, white and blue represent partnership of the Federation of Malaya and the United Kingdom and the association of the Federation of Malaya with the Commonwealth of Nations." (CO 953 764 Information Policy Department). I snapped the paper Flag attached in the file with my mini camera. Unfortunately, the image was not sharp.
Source: FO 953 764 Information Policy Department (Image not sharp)
IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER
1. 10 August 1949 - Announcement of Contest for Design of Federation of Malaya flag appeared in The Straits Times.
2. Encik Mohamad Hamzah, a PWD draughtsman sent his submission of four designs on 13th August 1949. barely three days after the announcement appeared. At least one of the designs was short-listed and placed third.
3. Poll carried out by The Malay Mail
4. Decision by the Conference of Rulers
5. Hoisted for the first time on 26th May, 1950 at the Istana Selangor grounds, in Kuala Lumpur.
6. Two designs were presented to the Conference of Rulers meeting in Kuala Lumpur on Feb 22 and 23, 1950.
7. The Conference of Rulers discussed the flag on 23 Feb. 1950. Certain changes were suggested by the Malay Rulers.
8. On 19th April, 1950 the final design of the flag was approved and sent to King George VI, who gave his consent on 19 May 1950.
9. When Malaya attained Independence on 31 August, 1957 the flag was adopted as the National flag.
10. The flag was adopted as Malaysia's National flag when Malaysia came into being on 16th September, 1963.
11. It became known as Jalur Gemilang or Stripes of Glory on 31 August 1997, on the 40th anniversary of Malaysia's Independence.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
1. Farizah Mohd Safar helped redesiged the three proposals of the flags based on the description in The Malay Mail. The proposals in The Malay Mail appeared as black and white.
2. Faizal Mohd Safar assisted with the animation of the Malaysian flag.
Reference
1. Malaysian flag. Wikipedia (accessed on 20th Oct. 2009).
2. Sonia Ramachandran. 18th August 2006. National flag chosen by people in one of the country's first public polls. New Straits Times. (Sonia Ramachandran interviewed me for the story).
3. CO 537/6025. Political Developments: Minutes of the Proceedings of the Conference of Rulers.
Oh, and Fadzilah Mohd Safar read this. =)
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