Thenational symbols of Malaysia are symbols that represent the government and culture ofMalaysia. There are generally five recognised elements: thenational emblem,national anthem,national flag,national flower andnational language.[1][2] The first official symbols, flag and anthem were adopted in 1957. In addition, other traditional symbols are often cited, such as the national bird, national animal and national craft.[3][4] There are also popularly recognised symbols including thenational airline, national colour,national dress, national sport, national poetry andnational mausoleum.[5][6][7]
The national flag of Malaysia, also known as theStripes of Glory (Jalur Gemilang),[8] is composed of a field of 14 alternating red and white stripes along thefly and a bluecanton bearing acrescent and a 14-point star known as theBintang Persekutuan (Federal Star). The 14 stripes, of equal width, represent the equal status in the federation of the13 member states and the federal territories, while the 14 points of the star represent the unity among these entities.[9] The crescent representsIslam, the country'sstate religion; the blue canton symbolises the unity of the Malaysian people; the yellow of the star and crescent is the royal colour of theMalay rulers,[10] the red stripes represent bravery and the white stripes represent purity.[11][12]
The Malaysian flag is similar in design to theflag of the United States of America which has 13 horizontal alternating red and white stripes with 50 stars.[13] There was a row of confusion inKansas in September 2017 when Munir Zanial, a Muslim Malaysian aerospace engineer, hosted a party to celebrateMalaysian Independence Day and the end ofRamadan. The Malaysian flag was prominently displayed, which onlookers believed was an American flag defaced with symbols of theIslamic State. TheFBI was notified which soon resolved the misunderstanding.[14]
The Malaysian national anthem is calledNegaraku (literally "My Country") which was adopted at the time ofMalaya's independence from theUnited Kingdom in 1957.[1] The tune was originally used as the state anthem ofPerak, "Allah Lanjutkan Usia Sultan".[15]
The coat of arms of Malaysia (Jata Negara Malaysia) comprises a shield orescutcheon, twotigers forsupporters, a crescent and fourteen-pointed star for acrest and amotto. The motto of the arms, located below the shield, consists of a banner with the phrase "Unity is Strength" (Bersekutu Bertambah Mutu).[16] As the coat of arms descended from that of theFederated Malay States underBritish colonial rule, it resembles Europeanheraldic designs.[17]
Malaysian Malay (Malay:Bahasa Melayu Malaysia) or Malaysian (Bahasa Malaysia)[18] is a standardized form of theMalay language used inMalaysia and also used inBrunei andSingapore (as opposed to thevariety used inIndonesia, which is referred to as the"Indonesian" language). It is spoken by much of the Malaysian population, although most learn avernacular Malay dialect oranother native language first. In 1957,Article 152 of Malaysia's Constitution described "Malay" (Bahasa Melayu) as the national language without any further definition.[19] However, the termbahasa Malaysia (lit. 'Malaysian Language') became more popular even in administrative contexts.[20] Between 1986 and 2007, the official termBahasa Melayu was revived as the standard name. In 2007, to recognize the multiethnicity of Malaysian, the government announced that the preferred name asbahasa Malaysia.[21][22][23][24]
In 1960, the then Prime MinisterTunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj declaredHibiscus × rosa-sinensis (variously known by common names like Chinese hibiscus, China rose, shoeblack plant, orbung raya in Malay) as the national flower.[25] The flower is a hybrid of two species,Hibiscus cooperi andH. kaute.[26]
Perkara 152 Perlembagaan Persekutuan menjelaskan bahawa bahasa Melayu yang dikenali juga sebagai bahasa Malaysia adalah bahasa rasmi yang tidak boleh dipertikai fungsi dan peranannya sebagai Bahasa Kebangsaan.