Why does this topic relevant to me?
Malaysia’s national flag — the Jalur Gemilang — is something we’re all more than familiar with. But how much do you actually know about the flag of your home state, or those of other states? Most of the time, we probably only catch a glimpse of them at school, at a government building, or on a lamppost, without ever really stopping to ask: what do these colours and symbols actually mean?
Malaysia has 13 states, each with its own state flag, plus the Federal Territory flag — 14 flags in all.
Every state flag and territory flag reflects local history and aspirations for the people, expressed through colour and design.
Before we dive into a detailed look at the flags of all 13 states and the Federal Territories, let’s start with a little game: based only on the colours and symbols on a state flag, see if you can guess which state or territory it belongs to. It’s a fun way to get to know the place where we grew up a little better.
What are the main colours used on state flags?
Overall, every state flag in the country uses at least one colour from the Jalur Gemilang (blue, yellow, red and white), though the exact shades vary slightly from state to state, and a few flags also use black.
Red tones and yellow tones together make up more than half of all flag surfaces, while blue tones and white each account for about 18%.
Looking at individual flags, though, the colour composition varies quite widely.
Same colour, very different meanings
On our national flag, yellow symbolises the monarchy and national sovereignty, blue represents the unity of all Malaysians, red stands for the resilience of the people, and white represents purity.
However, according to the Department of Information, the very same colour can carry a completely different meaning from one state flag to another.
Red
On the Selangor state flag, red symbolises life and represents the state’s strength; in Johor, it represents the courage and resilience of the people; while in Kelantan, red carries the meaning of loyalty — of both rulers and subjects — to the state.
Blue
Blue, too, carries a wide range of meanings across the different state flags. In Perlis and Johor, blue symbolises the people; in Penang, it represents the sea surrounding Penang Island; and Sabah’s flag even uses three different shades of blue: light blue for peace, royal blue for government, and dark blue for unity.
Yellow
Among the states that use yellow, most associate it with royalty and rank within the ruling hierarchy; in Penang, however, yellow represents prosperity, while in Sarawak it stands as a symbol of law, order and social stability.
Black and White
Black may seem an understated colour, but its meanings are surprisingly varied. In Pahang, it is the traditional colour of the Bendahara; in Perak, it corresponds to the Raja Di Hilir, third in line in the state’s order of succession; in Negeri Sembilan, black represents the Undang, the chiefs of the state’s four principal territories; in Terengganu, it symbolises the people; and in Sarawak, it represents the state’s rich natural resources.
White, too, carries different meanings from state to state. In Terengganu, Perak, Pahang and Johor, white points directly to the Sultan or to the sovereignty of the state itself; whereas in Sabah, Selangor, Kelantan, Malacca and Penang, the authorities have given it a more spiritual meaning — purity, justice and peace.
What else is hidden in these flags?
Across the 13 state flags and the one Federal Territory flag, nearly 70% feature a specific emblem — a crescent, a star, weapons, plants, mountains, and so on.
The crescent and the star each appear on six state flags, making up 46.2% of the total, and on five of those states — Terengganu, Selangor, Johor, Kelantan and Malacca — the crescent and star appear together as a pair, widely regarded as a symbol of Islam.
Kedah, meanwhile, uses only the crescent, without a star; Sarawak, on the other hand, has a nine-pointed star, which represents the state’s nine administrative divisions and the aspirations of its people.
Beyond that, weapons (a spear and a Malay dagger, or keris) appear only on the flag of Kelantan — the only one of the 13 state flags to place weapons directly on its design. Plant or agricultural motifs appear only on the flags of Kedah (rice) and Penang (the areca palm). And a mountain landmark is unique to Sabah, whose flag features Mount Kinabalu itself.
As for Perlis, Negeri Sembilan, Perak and Pahang, these four states rely on no emblems at all, telling their story purely through the proportions of colour blocks.
The meaning behind each flag’s composition
Using the classification system commonly used in vexillology (the study of flags), the 13 state flags and the Federal Territory flag can be grouped into seven categories.
The simplest is the plain block, or “fesses,” design — flags that tell their story purely through colour, without relying on any emblem. Perlis and Pahang both use a two-colour horizontal split design: the former split evenly between yellow and blue, the latter between white and black; Perak, meanwhile, uses three horizontal bands of white, yellow and black.
It’s worth noting that the horizontal bands on these three flags represent different tiers of status — the ruler, the crown prince, or the people. For example, on the Pahang and Perlis flags, the upper and lower stripes represent the ruler and the people respectively; while the three bands on the Perak flag correspond to the state’s order of succession — the Sultan, the Raja Muda, and the Raja Di Hilir.
The Federal Territory flag is likewise a tricolour of horizontal bands, but with the national coat of arms set into the centre, symbolising the three Federal Territories — Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya — which fall under direct federal government administration, and below it, three 14-pointed stars representing these three territories. As for the yellow, blue and red stripes on the Federal Territory flag, their meaning echoes that of the national flag: sovereignty, unity and courage respectively.
The second category is the canton design, where most of the flag remains a solid colour, with a separate emblem placed in the upper-left corner. Negeri Sembilan’s canton is a simple geometric diagonal split of red and black, with no figurative emblem at all; Johor’s canton goes a step further, adding a crescent and star within a red square; while Kedah places its entire state crest within the canton.
Sabah’s flag combines both the plain-block and canton designs — it is built on three horizontal bands, with a silhouette of Mount Kinabalu placed in the upper-left corner.
The remaining state flags each showcase a unique design of their own.
The Kelantan state flag is the only one in the country to use a Greek cross design, placing its emblem at the centre of the flag — a white crescent, star and weapons layered directly onto a red background.
Terengganu’s flag is even more distinctive. It combines the Greek cross with a border design — a relatively uncommon approach — with a full white border encircling the black main body, symbolising the Sultan’s protection of the people, while the crescent and star layered within the border represent Islam.
Selangor is the only one of the 13 states to use a quartered design, with red and yellow squares arranged diagonally opposite each other, and a crescent and star layered in the canton. The authorities have not given an official explanation for the meaning of the quartered design, but in vexillology it is typically used to express the equal standing of two elements — applied to the Selangor flag, this suggests that life (red) and spirit/monarchy (yellow) both hold significant importance.
Penang’s flag uses a “pales” design of vertical stripes in three colours, with an areca palm tree layered at the centre, a nod to the origin of Penang’s name. This type of design generally represents strength and resilience, and can also signify a close bond of shared values.
Sarawak is the only state in the country to use a diagonal, or “bend,” design — a red-and-black diagonal band cuts across a yellow background, set with a nine-pointed star. In modern flag design, a diagonal line often conveys a sense of modernity and forward momentum.
Through this close look at the flags of Malaysia’s states, we can see that each one carries its own distinct cultural and historical story. These designs not only reflect local character, but also express the values and aspirations of the people.
As National Day and Malaysia Day approach, let’s use these state flags as a window into our shared history, take pride in this diverse and united land, join together in safeguarding Malaysia’s rich cultural heritage, and move forward together towards an even better future.
Newsgraphy wishes you a Happy National Day!