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Flag Proposals 1949 (Malaysia)

Flag Proposals 1949

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Flag Proposals 1949

Document, BT 11/4189, in the Public Record Office at Kew explains some of the thinking behind the design of the Malaysian Flag.

Federation of Malaya Order No.61 of 1949 announced that a committee had been set up to make recommendations for the design of a Federation Flag. A competition was organised with the suggestion that, in any design submitted, the flag should be simple, and have not more than four colours, which might perhaps be yellow, red, white and blue, the colours most frequently used in the flags of the nine states and two settlements of the federation. Suitable symbols would include the kris (a Malayan sword), tiger, and crescent.

A total of 373 entries were received. The committee chose three to put before the Legislative Council.

In the centre of a blue flag, two crossed red kris, surrounded by a circle of eleven white five pointed stars. (Crossed kris can be seen behind the anchor on the Malaysian naval ensign).
Explanation. Colours; red was found on six state/settlement flags, white on five, and blue on three, and all were colours of the Union Jack. Eleven stars of equal size, equally spaced, represented the states/settlements in no particular order, and each of equal importance. Kris was of great antiquity and peculiar to the Malayan archipelago, thus identifying the flag with Malaya.
Similar to (1) but with the stars arranged in two concentric circles, one of six stars, outside one of five stars.
Explanation. The same as (1), with the inner circle of stars representing the Unfederated Malay States and the outer circle the four Federated States and two Settlements.
Six blue and five white horizontal stripes. A red canton half the length of the flag resting on top of the white stripe second f