Walk into any school or government office in Malaysia, and you will see the bright colors of the Jalur Gemilang (Stripes of Glory), the nation’s flag designed by Mohamed bin Hamzah, in a government contest.
The colors of the flag represent the Malaysian people’s spirit; the alternating 14 red and white horizontal stripes and 14-point yellow star both constitute the 13 states of Malaysia and the Federal Government, the blue canton the unity of Malaysian people, and the yellow crescent moon represents the religion of Islam.
The Jalur Gemilang was first flown in 1950 and passed for public use on August 31, 1957, Malaysia’s Independence Day. However, the flag remained unnamed until Malaysia’s 40th year of independence, when former Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad, bestowed its name Jalur Gemilang.
When the MCO is over, why not visit Merdeka Square to view the Jalur Gemilang proudly flying on the tallest flagpole in the world (95m) at Merdeka Square in Kuala Lumpur. It is at this exact spot that the flag was hoisted up for the first time at midnight on August 31, 1957.
