flag of Penang
{{Short description|none}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}}
{{Infobox Flag
|Name=Penang
|Image=Flag of Penang (Malaysia).svg
|Use=Civil and state flag
|Proportion=1:2
|Designer=C.K. Fook
|Adoption=1957
|Design=A triband of light blue, white and yellow; an areca nut palm tree within the middle white band.
}}
The flag of Penang consists of three vertical bands and an areca-nut palm on a grassy mount in the centre. All three bands are of equal width. From left to right, the colour of each band is light blue, white and yellow.
The colours of the flag are derived from the tinctures of the coat of arms of Penang granted by King George VI in September 1949.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nS2fhytk1gcC |title=The Commonwealth Relations Office Year Book |publisher=Her Majesty's Stationery Office |year=1960 |volume=9 |location=London |pages=89 |language=English |chapter=The Arms of the Federation of Malaya}} Light blue denotes the sea that surrounds Penang Island, white represents peace and yellow for the prosperity of the state.{{Cite web|url=http://dbd.penang.gov.my/index.php/en/arkib-fail/2-uncategorised/110-bendera-penang|title=Penang Flag|website=Southwest Penang Island District Land Office}}
The areca-nut palm, known as pokok pinang in Malay, symbolises the tree from which Penang got its name. The tree and its grassy mount is centred within the middle white band.
The flag was slightly modified to its present form in 1963 by removing a torse of blue and white at the bottom of the grassy mount.{{Cite web|url=http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/my-p.html|title=Penang (Malaysia)|website=www.crwflags.com|access-date=2016-12-20}}{{cite web|url=https://www.google.com.my/books/edition/Bendera_dan_lambang_negara_dan_negeri2_M/J-glAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=bendera+negeri+1963&pg=PP28&printsec=frontcover|title=Bendera dan Lambang Negara dan Negeri/National and State Flags and Crests (1963)|publisher=Department of Information Malaysia}}
History
Under the rule of the Sultanate of Kedah prior to the arrival of the East India Company in 1786, the first known representation of Penang on a flag was as one of the three crowns on the flag of the Straits Settlements in use between 1877 and 1946.{{Cite book |last=Farrow |first=Malcom |url=https://www.flaginstitute.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/TCOF-2015-2020.pdf |title=The Colours of the Fleet: British and British Designed Ensigns |publisher=Flag Institute |year=2021 |editor-last=Prothero |editor-first=David |pages=97 |language=English}} Following the dissolution of the Straits Settlements and the admission of Penang as a Crown colony within the Malayan Union, there appears to be little clarity as to what flag Penang used between its separation from the April 1946 and the eventual adoption of a blue ensign defaced by the 1949 arms.{{Cite book |last=Weekes |first=Nick |url=https://flaginstitute.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/restricted_pdfs/research_note_2.pdf |title=The Flag Institute Research Note No. 2: Colonial Flag Badges: A Chronology |publisher=Flag Institute |publication-date=10 June 2008 |pages=12 |language=English |quote="11 Sep 1949. Grant of Arms (shield and crest only) by Royal Warrant to Penang. Shield of Arms used to deface Blue Ensign (with white background disc) and Union Flag (within garland)."}} This would be replaced with final flag of the Crown colony was a blue ensign, defaced with a flag badge{{efn|A flag badge refers to the emblem on British colonial flags identifying the colony.}} depicting the areca nut palm, adopted as of the 17 June 1952 by the Settlement Council.{{cite news |title=Penang adopts a flag badge |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19520617-1.2.87 |access-date=31 August 2022 |work=The Straits Times |date=17 June 1952}}
In the months preceding Malayan independence, the Settlement Government announced a competition on 17 May 1957 to design a new state flag for Penang.{{cite news |title=$500 prize for flag design |work=Straits Budget |date=23 May 1957}} The winner, a C.K. Fook of 434, Chulia Street, was awarded $500 for his design on 20 August. The final modified design differed on the shade of blue submitted by Fook, but it was decided to award the prize to him regardless.{{cite news |title=Flag Designer Gets Prize |work=Singapore Standard |date=21 August 1957}}
The new state flag of Penang was raised at noon on 30 August 1957 at the Padang{{efn|The Sunday Standard reported that the "state flag" was flown during the ceremony. The same newspaper referred to the flag representing Malaya as the "federation flag".{{cite news |title=George Town-A 'Fairyland' of Light |work=Sunday Standard |date=1 September 1957}}}} in the presence of the new governor Raja Uda and the last resident commissioner Robert Porter Bingham.{{cite news |title=Raja Uda Takes Over in Penang |work=Sunday Standard |date=1 September 1957}}{{cite news |title=Bendera baharu Pulau Pinang akan berkibar dalam istiadat |trans-title=The new flag of Penang will fly in the ceremony |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/beritaharian19570820-1.2.22 |access-date=30 August 2022 |work=Berita Harian |date=20 August 1957 |language=ms}}{{cite news |title=The tricolour flag of a new State will fly over historic ceremony |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19570820-1.2.85 |access-date=31 August 2022 |work=The Straits Times |date=20 August 1957}} That evening, the Union Jack was lowered for the final time at 6:45 pm near Fort Cornwallis, George Town, marking the end of 171 years of British rule.{{cite news |title=Selemat Berpisah Bagi Union Jack |trans-title=Happy farewell to Union Jack |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/beritaharian19570831-1.2.21 |access-date=31 August 2022 |work=Berita Harian |date=31 August 1957 |language=ms}}{{cite news |title=Union Jack given back after 171 years |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19570831-1.2.5 |access-date=31 August 2022 |work=The Straits Times |date=31 August 1957}}{{cite news |title=Bingham receives flag |work=Sunday Standard |date=1 September 1957}}
On 24 December 1957, nominated member Koh Sin Hock told the State Council that the flag's areca-nut palm did not resemble a real one, likening it to a coconut palm, and that he hoped a more realistic depiction could be used instead.{{cite news |title=That's not a real pinang tree, says councillor |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19571225-1.2.90 |access-date=31 August 2022 |work=The Straits Times |date=25 December 1957}}
Historical flags
| class="wikitable"
!Flag !Duration !Political Entity !Description |
| File:Flag of the British Straits Settlements (1874–1904).svg
|1874-1904 |rowspan=3|Straits Settlements |rowspan=3|Adopted when Penang was part of the Straits Settlements. |
| File:Flag of the British Straits Settlements (1904–1925).svg
|1904-1925 |
| File:Flag of the British Straits Settlements (1925–1946).svg
|1925-1946 |
| File:Flag of the United Kingdom (1-2).svg
|1946-1949 |rowspan=3|Crown Colony of Penang |Identical to the Union Jack. |
| File:Flag of Penang (1949–1952).svg
|1949-1952 |
| File:Flag of Penang (1952–1957).svg
|1952-1957 |Flag badge depicting the areca nut palm tree leaved and fructed proper on a mound with a wreath of the colours of the settlement arms adopted on 16 June 1952 by the Settlement Council. |
| File:Flag of Penang (1957–1965).svg
|Unknown |Another variant of the State Flag of Penang. |
City council flags
Penang is divided between two local governments. The Penang Island City Council administers Penang's capital city of George Town, whilst the Seberang Perai City Council governs Seberang Perai on the Malay Peninsula.{{cite news |title=Seberang Prai attains city status |url=https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2019/05/489993/seberang-prai-attains-city-status |access-date=31 August 2022 |work=New Straits Times |date=20 May 2019}}
| class="wikitable"
!Local government |
| Flag |
|---|
| Municipality |
Previously, the city of George Town also had its own flag,{{citation needed|date=August 2022}} which dated back to the grant of city status to the George Town City Council in 1957.{{cite web |title=George Town: Malaysia's first local democracy – Penang Institute |url=https://penanginstitute.org/happenings/in-the-mass-media/913-george-town-malaysia-s-first-local-democracy/ |website=Penang Institute |access-date=31 August 2022}} The city council was eventually merged with the Penang Island Rural District Council in 1974 to form the Penang Island Municipal Council,{{cite web |title=Penang's a City |url=https://mypenang.gov.my/culture-heritage/my-stories/64/?lg=en |website=Penang Global Tourism |access-date=31 August 2022}} which subsequently became the Penang Island City Council in 2015.
Notes
{{notelist}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/my-p.html Penang] at Flags of the World
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20090221110217/http://www.tourismpenang.gov.my/ Tourism Penang State Government Official Website]
{{Penang}}
{{Malaysian flags}}
{{Union Flag}}