Malaysia's Jalur Gemilang ('Stripes of Glory') has 14 alternating red and white stripes. It was adopted on 16 September 1963 when Malaysia was formed.
The design
The Flag of Malaysia is a national emblem rendered in the colours and proportions defined by the country’s flag law. Its official aspect ratio is 1:2, the height-to-length ratio that fixes how the flag should be cut and flown. The colour scheme uses Red, White, Blue, Yellow, with each shade specified to particular Pantone or RGB values for official reproduction.
Colour palette
| Colour | Name | Common symbolism |
|---|---|---|
| Red | Red | Often signifies courage, sacrifice, revolution or the blood of those who fought for the nation. |
| White | White | Commonly represents peace, purity, honesty or snow-capped landscapes. |
| Blue | Blue | Frequently symbolises sky, sea, freedom, vigilance or perseverance. |
| Yellow | Yellow | Usually denotes wealth, the sun, gold reserves, or a generous spirit. |
Symbolism & heraldry
The 14 stripes and 14-point star represent the equal status of Malaysia's 13 states and federal government; yellow is the colour of Malay royalty; the crescent represents Islam.
Heraldic elements on the Flag of Malaysia — bands, charges, emblems or stars — each carry meaning agreed at the moment of the flag’s adoption. Re-readings happen across generations: a colour or a symbol that began with one meaning often picks up further layers as the country’s history unfolds.
Adoption & history
The current flag was adopted in 1963. Earlier banners flown by Malaysia reflected the politics of their day; each redesign typically marked a moment of independence, regime change or constitutional reform. The current flag was chosen, debated and codified through the country’s official channels and is now protected by flag law.
Etiquette & protocol
The Flag of Malaysia should be flown with respect: never allowed to touch the ground, never used as drapery for ceremonies it was not made for, and lowered or removed at sundown unless illuminated. When flown alongside other national flags, it takes precedence on home soil and is hoisted first and lowered last. On days of national mourning, the flag is flown at half-mast in line with directives from the head of state. These conventions are common to most nations and are usually written into the flag’s founding statute.
Specifications
| Field | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Country | Malaysia | — |
| Continent | Asia | — |
| ISO alpha-2 | MY | 2-letter code |
| ISO alpha-3 | MYS | 3-letter code |
| Adopted | 1963 | year of current design |
| Proportion | 1:2 | height : length |
| Colours | Red, White, Blue, Yellow | — |
| Designer | — | |
| Emoji | 🇲🇾 | Unicode codepoint sequence |
Did you know?
The flag is often compared to the United States flag because of similar stripe-and-canton structure — a coincidence, not an inspiration.
