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- Sarawak
- federal state of Malaysia under an Yang di-Pertua Negeri (Governor)
- own name: Sarawak Bumi Kenyalang
• Flag
• Historical Flags
• Meaning/Origin of the Flag
• Coat of Arms
• Meaning/Origin of the Coat of Arms
• Map
• Map of the Federal States of Malysia
• Numbers and Facts
• History
• Origin of the Country's Name
Flag of Sarawak,
ratio = 1:2,
Source, by: Flags of the World
to 1841,
Flag of Brunei,
ratio = 1:2,
Source, by: Flags of the World
1841–1848,
National and state flag,
Source, by: Flags of the World
1848–1870,
National and state flag,
Source, by: Flags of the World
1870–1941, 1946,
National and state flag,
Source, by: Flags of the World, Flaggenbuch 1939
1870–1941, 1946,
Merchant flag,
Source, by: Flags of the World, Flaggenbuch 1939
1870–1941, 1946,
Flag of the Rajah,
Source, by: Flags of the World, Flaggenbuch 1939
1941–1945,
Flag of Japan,
ratio = 2:3,
Source, by: Wikipedia (EN)
1946–1963,
Flag of United Kingdom,
ratio = 1:2,
Source, by: Wikipedia (EN)
1946–1963,
Flag of the government (state flag),
ratio = 1:2,
Source, by: Flags of the World
1946–1963, Variant
Flag of the government (state flag),
ratio = 1:2,
Source, by: Flags of the World
1946–1963,
Flag of the Governor,
ratio = 1:2,
Source, by: Flags of the World
1963–1973,
Flag of Sarawak,
ratio = 1:2,
Source, by: Flags of the World
1973–1988,
Flag of Sarawak,
ratio = 1:2,
Source, by: Flags of the World
The today's flag of Sarawak was introduced in 1988 and shows an yellow bunting with a black and red diagonal and an eleven-pointed yellow star in the middle, similar to that in the flag of Malaysia. It represents the eleven federal states of Malaysia, and should possibly be a confession of Sarawak to the federation. The flag remembers the flag of the kingdom. First, in 1841, when the Kingdom of Sarawak arose, a white flag with a white cross was introduced, similar to the flag of England. Maybe it should remind of the English origin of James Brooke, the first king (actually Rajah) of the country. In 1848, a yellow flag was introduced, showing a left blue and right red, two-coloured cross in the center, with a golden crown in the middle. The yellow is reminiscent of the sultanate of Brunei, from which the Kingdom of Sarawak emerged in 1841. The two-coloured cross recalls the personal coat of arms of James Brooke. In 1870, the blue in the cross was changed to black. The colors are in this way typical for other Malay states, in which the yellow symbolizes the monarch and ruler, the black stands for other higher dignitaries and red represents the people. The country became a British protectorate in 1888. In 1941, the Rajah was expelled by the Japanese troops, he returned in 1945, but he finally gave the country as a crown colony to United Kingdom in 1946. At least since 1946, when the Rajah ceded his power to the United Kingdom, the British Union Jack - also called Union Flag - was the country's sole symbol, at least on land, until the country's annexation to Malaysia. However, since 1865, ships of colonial governments were allowed to fly a Blue Ensign with a badge (emblem) in the flying end, but these were later also used on land. The respective governments were to provide appropriate these bagdes or emblems. For private and merchant vessels, Red Ensigns with badges were in use, but only if permission was granted by the British Admiralty for that colony. Sarawak did not officially have a Red Ensign with badge during its colonial period, even if such flags were in use without permission, only the usual British Red Ensign without badge could have been used. Such a badge was often a regional landscape representation placed on a disk, often showing ships, historical events or even a kind of a logo. Very often, a badge also showed the name of the country or a motto. Some British possessions, however, already had a coat of arms from the beginning, or their badge was replaced by a coat of arms over the years. To ensure a uniform appearance in the flying end of the flags, coats of arms and other symbols were displayed on a white disk in the size of the earlier badges. There were also exceptions, because some colonies did not use the white disk and placed their escutcheon or even coat of arms directly on the bunting, sometimes enlarged. Already in the '40s they started to remove the white disk and placed the coat of arms directly or enlarged. This conversion process was done gradually, nowhere at the same time and completely. In some British possessions, flags with the white disc are still in use, in others no more and in some areas are both variants in use, next to each other. The badge of Sarawak was an escutcheon with the image of the flag of the Kingdom of Sarawak, the black and red cross and the crown in the centre on a golden background. After the annexation of Sarawak to Malaysia in 1963, the flag of the kingdom – which was used until 1946 – was reintroduced and used until the year 1973. In the period between 1973 and 1988, Sarawak used a flag that looked very similar to that of Czechoslovakia (rsp. the today's Czechia): The flag showed two stripes in red and white and on the leech (pole side) an isosceles blue triangle. The flag of North Borneo (Sabah) looked very similar in those years. In 1988, the current flag was introduced.
Source: Wikipedia (EN), Das Flaggenbuch, Flags of the World
1870–1941, 1946,
Coat of arms of the Kingdom of Sarawak,
Source: Samhanin, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
1946–1963,
Coat of arms of the Crown Colony of Sarawak,
Source: By Sodacan [CC BY-SA 4.0 ,
Public domain], from Wikimedia Commons
since 1988,
Coat of arms of Sarawak,
Source: By Ranking Update
[Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
The coat of arms of the Kingdom of Sarawak showed at least from 1870 the black-red cross, but in the thorn cut, on yellow ground, with a crown in the middle. The motto in the banner under the sign was: Dum Spiro Spero (translated: "As long as I breathe, I hope "). The Crown Colony of Sarawak continued the use of the coat of arms of the kingdom, only the engrailed outline was omitted. In the year 1988 a new coat of arms was adopted for Sarawak. It shows a Rhinoceros Hornbill Bird with the emblem of the country on the chest, which shows the image of the flag. The thirteen feathers of the wings of the bird stand for the thirteen states of Malaysia. Besides the banner with the motto "Bersatu, Berusaha, Berbakti " (Unity, Effort, Service), the bird holds hibiscus blossoms in its claws, the national flower of Malaysia.
Source:
1) Wikipedia (EN),
2) Wikipedia (EN),
3) Wikipedia (EN)
Clickable Map
Map: Volker Preuß, to Malaysia? → click or tap here
Area: 48.050 square miles
Inhabitants: 2.453.677 (2020), thereof 29% Iban, 23% Chinese, 23% Malays, 8% Bidayuh, 5% Melanau
Religions: 50% Christian, 34% Muslim, 13% Buddhist, 2% Non-Religious
Density of Population: 51 inh./sq.mi.
Capital: Kuching, 635.000 inh. (2006)
official Language: Malaysian
other Languages: English, Chinese, Iban
Currency: Malaysian currency
Time Zone: GMT + 8 h
Source: Wikipedia (DE)
14th–15th cent. · to the Madjapahit Empire, later to the Sultanate of Brunei
1841 · the Sultan of Brunei hands on Sarawak (originally city and surroundings of Kuching) to the Briton James Brooke as gratidude for in struggles against the Dajak tribes given services, Brook designate hisself to Rajah of Sarawak and established the until 1946 reigning Brooke dynasty of the "white Rajahs"
1864 · United Kingdom recognizes the independence of Sarawak
1888 · Sarawak, meanwhile grown almost to its present size, becomes a British protectorate, the appropriation by the Netherlands is in this way prevented
1941 · Japanese conquest
1945 · withdrawal of the Japanese
1946 · the Rajah of Sarawak hands over the power to United Kingdom and resigns, Sarawak becomes a British colony
1st of April 1957 · constitution, internal autonomy
1961 · first plans for the annexion of Sarawak by the Malaysian Federation
16th of September 1963 · proclamation of the Kingdom of Malaysia by confederation of the Malaysian Federation (Malaya) with the former British colonies Sarawak, Sabah (North Borneo) and Singapore. Brunei rejects the joining and remains at United Kingdom
Source:
Atlas zur Geschichte,
World Statesmen,
Wikipedia (D)
The name of the country "Sarawak" goes back to Portuguese cartographers of the 16th century, who transferred the Malay word "Serawak", which is to translate as "antimony", to the country.
Source:
Wikipedia (EN)
