Flag of Singapore - Colours, Meaning, History ??

Singapore’s flag consists of two horizontal lines: one above, that is red, and one below which is white. The upper red part has a crescent white moon surrounded by five stars arranged in a pentagon. Singapore’s flag represents its statehood, and thus, it was imperative for the cabinet to make something that helps express and embody the beliefs and aspirations of the people of Singapore. These include their religion, passion for democracy, peace, and justice. The flag was introduced in 1959. Before this time, the British union flag was being used in the island country for nearly a century and a half.

History of the Flag of Singapore

At the beginning of the 19th century, the British East India company, part of the greater British empire had a trading post in Singapore, much as in most other places in the world. For this reason, the flag flown for this time was the alternating red and white stripes flag with the British union Jack on the top left corner. Later, Singapore was grouped with Penang and Malacca, in what was known as the Straits Settlement.

The flag used in Singapore at this time composed of a field of blue with the British union flag on the top left and a white disc. On the disc was a red lozenge with three crowns. In 1942, Japan invaded Singapore, and during this time, the Japanese flag was used as Singapore’s flag.

The Japanese were conquered again during the fighting with the USA in 1945, and from then on, the British returned with a flag featuring a field of blue, with the British union flag on the top left and the white disc in a Y formation on the right side. In 1959, Singapore gained self-governance, and the perks of this was that the flag of Singapore as it currently is was officially instituted. In 1963, the country gained independence, and the flag remained.

Dr. Toh Chih played a central role in the creation of the flag for Singapore. He was put in charge of a committee to develop a flag. He studied the flags of many nations represented in the United Nations and made recommendations to the cabinet on possible designs. He had reservations about red and white variations of the flag as he thought they would be confused for the Polish and Indonesian flags. The legislative assembly of Singapore endorsed the red and white flag in 1959.

What are some other flags in Singapore?

The civil ensign is the flag used by civilian ships to show their identity. It is also known as the merchant ensign or merchant flag.
The presidential flag standard is a field of red with the crescent moon and the five pentagon stars. It is used to signify the presence of the Singaporean president.
The government ensign flag has the official emblem on the top left and a dark blue on the rest of the flag with a star centered on the right side. It used to indicate non-military, government vessels.
The armed forces flag is the same as the national flag but there is the crest of the armed forces added to the white part. The armed forces, the navy and the air force use this flag.
The commissioning pennant is used to symbolize warships. It is a left side red cross on a white field. It is flown for the full life of the ship until its decommissioning.

What is the meaning behind the colours of the Flag of Singapore?

The flag constitutes two horizontal red and white colors, red on top and white beneath. On the left side of the red strip, there is a crescent moon and encircled are five stars making a pentagon formation. The meanings of the flag colors are:

Red: The red on the flag symbolizes equality and a sense of unity amongst all the inhabitants of Singapore.
White: The white represents a sense of purity and virtue.

Elements of the flag of Singapore & their meaning

The crescent moon was used to symbolize the youthfulness of Singapore as a nation on the rise.
The five stars represent the ideals that Singapore associates itself with as a democratic country. These include equality, democracy, progress, peace, and justice.

Interesting Facts about the Flag of Singapore

The Singaporean flag should, in case flown on a building, be displayed from the side of the building or on top of the building. It should always be illuminated adequately if it is flown at night so that it is visible.
The flag should always be flown on a flagpole when hoisted on a month that is not a national celebratory month.
The flag may be reproduced in smaller variations, but it should be as it is, without alterations to its integrity.
In the country, it should take precedence over all other flags of other nations and should be kept on the left side, when hoisted with other flags.
The flag should not be used in any commercial advertisement and should generally be treated honorably by the members of the country.
The flag shouldn’t be used at any funeral procession and should not be used on any private vehicle.
The flag should never be produced with words or any graphical representations superimposed on the original design of the flag.
Like most other countries, the flag of Singapore should be washed when dirty and replaced when worn out. It should not be hung outside with other laundry.
The dimensions of the flag are pretty specific, the ratio being 3:2, length to width.
The citizens of the country are encouraged to hoist the flag during national events and as well as when representing the country in significant events.
Some of the rules regarding the use of the national flag have been relaxed, and on national and public holidays, citizens are allowed to use the flag on their private vehicles, and the business community encouraged to hoist the flag.