Emblem of Malaysia

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(Redirected from Coat of arms of Malaysia)

Current crest

The National Emblem (Coat of Arms) of Malaysia (Jata Negara in Malay) consists of a shield guarded by two tigers. On the top of the shield is a yellow crescent with a 14-pointed star. A banner with the phrase "Unity is Strength" (Bersekutu Bertambah Mutu) written in both romanized Malay and Jawi is located below the shield. The original English words were replaced by Jawi some time after independence.

The yellow colour of the crescent and the star symbolises the country's monarchy. The crescent also represents Islam as the official religion while the star represents the thirteen states and the federal territories of Malaysia. (See also Malaysia's Federal star.) Originally, the fourteen-pointed star represented the original fourteen states of Malaysia, which included Singapore. It was not changed when Singapore left the federation, but it has generally been accepted that the 14th point represents the Federal Territories.

The two tigers supporting the shield are traditional Malay symbols. They are retained from the earlier armorial ensign of the Federation of Malaya, and prior to that of the Federated Malay States, and they symbolize strength and courage.

Five krises are located within the upper red rectangle. The krises represent five former Unfederated Malay States, namely Johore, Terengganu, Kelantan, Kedah and Perlis.

Below the kris, there are 4 rectangles coloured in red, black, white and yellow that symbolise the Federated Malay States. The permutations of the colours red, black, white and yellow make up the colors of these states' flags. Red, black and yellow are for Negeri Sembilan; black and white for Pahang; black, white and yellow for Perak; and red and yellow for Selangor.

The rest are insignias of the four remaining states. The palm tree along with the bridge represents Penang while the 'Melaka' tree on the opposite end of the shield identifies Malacca. Center below on the left represents Sabah while the Hornbill 'Kenyalang' stands for Sarawak on the right. Both represent the states' coat of arms.

The hibiscus flower on the center between the coat of arms of Sabah and that of Sarawak is the national flower of Malaysia.

Previously, a similar coat of arms was used. The original version has different tiger heads with different icons representing Penang, Sabah and Sarawak.