The name of the Malaysian flag - Jalur Gemilang (English: "Stripes of Glory"). The term "Jalur" means "streak" and "Gemilang" indicates achievement, glory or pride. Thus, the name of the flag reflects the desire for achievement and pride in the country.
The Malaysian flag consists of 14 alternating red and white stripes, as well as a crescent moon and a 14-pointed star:
The history of the national flag began on November 29, 1949, when the Council of Governors, in cooperation with the Federal Legislative Council, held a national competition to select a flag design.
A total of 373 entries were received in May 1948 and went through a selection and review process. On November 15, 1949, only three designs were successfully selected for the final stage, and Mohamed bin Hamz (an architect at the Johor Public Works Department) was chosen as the winner.
However, several changes were made to the flag design, namely the crescent and the star, which were originally white, were replaced with yellow, symbolizing the royal color.
On May 19, 1950, the flag design was approved by King George VI, and on May 26, 1950, the flag of the Federation of Malaysia was first raised at the Selangor Sultan's Palace in the presence of the rulers of Malaysia and officials of King George VI.
Initially, the flag of the Federation of Malaysia contained 11 horizontal stripes of red and white and an 11-pointed star, and on September 16, 1963, when Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore became part of the Federation of Malaysia, their number increased to 14.
On August 31, 1997, on the occasion of the celebration of the 40th anniversary of national independence, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad announced the new name of the Malaysian flag - Jalur Gemilang.
