Google celebrates Merdeka Day with special bunga raya-songket doodle


PETALING JAYA: Google Malaysia has commemorated the National Day with a special hibiscus inspired doodle art on its welcome page on Saturday (Aug 31).

According to the search engine giant, the doodle art evokes the nation's national flower, also known as the bunga raya, through the "Malay tradition of metallic songket embroidery, a technique for embellishing fabrics with gold, long prized by nobility and royals."

It added that Malaysia had adopted the bunga raya after gaining independence to reflect the celebration of unity in a multicultural nation.

It said that the five petals represented the five principles of Malaysia's national philosophy, also known as the Rukunegara.

A short "Happy 62nd Independence Day, Malaysia!" text also appears when the cursor hovers over the image.

Google also posted two other early drafts of the doodle, before deciding on its main doodle art.

This is not the first time Google has honoured the country's Independence Day through doodles. The first doodle was done during Malaysia's 50th Independence Day in 2007 which featured the wau (Malaysian kite).

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