THE words "Jalur Gemilang" roll off the tongue so naturally that most Malaysians assume the flag has always been called that.
It has not. For the first 40 years of the nation's existence, the flag that flew over Merdeka and Malaysia Day celebrations went by a far more functional name that nobody remembers fondly.
Is it true that the name "Jalur Gemilang" was only given to the Malaysian flag in 1997?
Verdict:
TRUE
The name Jalur Gemilang was officially bestowed on the Malaysian flag on the eve of Aug 31, 1997, in conjunction with the nation's 40th Independence Day celebration.
The ceremony was conducted by then Prime Minister Datuk Seri (now Tun) Dr Mahathir Mohamad at 11.58pm at Dataran Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur, just two minutes before the clock struck midnight and the country entered its 41st year of independence.
Before that moment, the flag had no name that stirred the heart. When it was first hoisted on Aug 31, 1957, it was known as the Flag of the Federation of Malaya. After the formation of Malaysia in 1963, it became simply the Malaysian Flag, or Bendera Malaysia.
Accurate, functional and though not entirely memorable.
The idea to give the flag a proper name came from Datuk Hashim Mat Idris, who felt strongly that it deserved a name that was more than just a description.
The proposal was then submitted to Dr Mahathir on July 11, 1995.
Dr Mahathir agreed, and a process was set in motion.
A parent committee was established on Aug 24, 1995, chaired by the Deputy Chief Secretary (Cabinet) of the Prime Minister's Department, to oversee the naming exercise.
On April 1, 1996, the committee decided that the name would not be selected through a public competition but would instead be chosen from a list of names proposed by its own members.
Three names made the shortlist: Jalur Gemilang, Jalur Nusa Gemilang and Jalur Sinar Gemilang.
The Cabinet chose Jalur Gemilang.
Historian Associate Professor Dr Abu Hanifah Haris explained in a Bernama report in August 2025 that the word "Jalur" refers to the straight stripes on the flag, symbolising the straight path and unified direction followed by all citizens.
"Gemilang" signifies the nation's excellence and the unity of the people in safeguarding and elevating Malaysia's image.
"Jalur Gemilang is more than just the name of the flag. It is a symbol that identifies Malaysia on the world stage, embodying the nation's image, identity and sovereignty," said Abu Hanifah.
The history of our Jalur Gemilang started off as a design submitted by Mohamed Hamzah, an architect from the Johor Public Works Department, to a national competition held in May 1948.
His design was selected out of 373 entries and presented to the Federal Legislative Council on Nov 15, 1949.
The Conference of Rulers gave its approval on Feb 22 and 23, 1950, after requesting several amendments, including changing the crescent and star from white to yellow to represent royalty.
The Federal Legislative Council formally approved the flag on April 19, 1950.
So for 40 years, a flag that carried the dreams of a new nation flew without a name.
It took a civil servant's conviction that the flag deserved better, a Prime Minister who agreed, a committee that deliberated for nearly two years, and a midnight ceremony at Dataran Merdeka to give it one.
This Merdeka month, when the Jalur Gemilang fills every street and shopfront across the country, it is worth remembering that the name Malaysians now take for granted is younger than most of the people flying it.
Sources:
1) Menghormati Lambang-Lambang Kebesaran Negara, Jabatan Penerangan Malaysia, Kementerian Komunikasi dan Multimedia Malaysia, November 2020 (ISBN 978-983-54-0610-2)
2) https://bernama.com/en/news.php?id=2457261
3) https://www.bernama.com/en/news.php?id=1989538
4) https://www.bernama.com/en/general/news.php?id=2455041
