Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Sabah seems to be one step behind Sarawak in changing of its state flag



The above design of Sabah flag was introduced on 1st January 1982 (under the Berjaya government) which was very similar to the neigbouring state of Sarawak (see below). The earlier flag was replaced as it was was deemed to be associated with a political party (USNO).This flag however has a short live of 6 years and some of the younger generation may not remember this flag.




The above design of the Sarawak flag was introduced on 31st August 1973 in conjunction with the 10th anniversary of the formation of Federation of Malaysia. The Sarawak government had wanted a flag that was not connected to British colonial rule. May be due to the similarity of the flag with the Sabah flag and the Czech Republic flag, the Sarawak flag was again changed on 31st August 1988 (see below).

















The flag of this design was adopted on 30 March 1920 by Czechoslovakia.The flag was banned from 1939 to 1945 during the occupation by Nazi Germany. When Czechoslovakia split into Czech Republic & Slovakia, Czech Republic adopted it as their flag.


This Sarawak flag of 1988 which is still in use today has close resemblance (in terms of colour) to the old White Rajah flag (see below). The nine-point yellow star in the middle symbolising Sarawak’s nine divisions.


The flag used by the White Rajahs from 1870 to 1946. In the centre is a St George Cross. The five points of the crown represents the original five divisions of Sarawak.












Interestingly Sabah also changed its flag on 16 September 1988. This flag is an adaptation of the earlier Sabah flag used from 31 August 1963 (independent of Sabah from Britain. Sabah and Sarawak was independent nations for two weeks prior to the formation of Malaysia) to 31 December 1981 (see below). Sabah’s first flag was modelled after the flag of the United Sabah National Organisation (Usno), the political party that form the first state government.











 The 1963, 1981 and 1988 Sabah flags were all designed by the same person, Datuk Mohammed Yaman, who was the state's first and present Art Gallery Director.













The Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK) has adopted a flag which is very similar in design to the old Sabah flag of 1963.

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