History of the Malaysia Flag: Mohamed Hamzah, 1950 Federation Flag & Jalur Gemilang
Malaysia’s national flag began as the Federation of Malaya flag designed by Johor architect Mohamed Hamzah and was later updated as the federation expanded.
1948–1949 design competition
A national competition attracted hundreds of proposed designs for the Federation of Malaya’s new flag.
Mohamed Hamzah’s winning design
The selected design was created by Mohamed bin Hamzah, an architect with the Johor Public Works Department.
1950 approval
After revisions, including changing the crescent and star from white to royal yellow, the design received approval from the Malay Rulers and federal authorities.
May 26, 1950: first raising
The Federation of Malaya flag was first raised officially at the Sultan of Selangor’s palace in Kuala Lumpur on May 26, 1950.
1957 independence
The same basic flag represented independent Malaya when the federation gained independence in 1957.
1963: Malaysia is formed
When Malaysia was established in 1963, the flag was updated to reflect the new federation. The modern design uses 14 stripes and a 14-point star.
Why did the 14 remain after Singapore left?
After Singapore separated in 1965, the 14 elements were retained and came to represent the 13 states together with the Federal Government.
1997: Jalur Gemilang
The national flag was officially named Jalur Gemilang in 1997, commonly translated as “Stripes of Glory.”
