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War Ensign 1963-1968 (Malaysia)

Last modified: 2023-06-03 by zachary harden
Keywords: canton (malaysia) | crescent: points to fly (yellow) | star: 14 points (yellow) | cross (red) | cross (st george) |
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• Description
• First Royal Malaysian Navy Sovereign's Colour
• Debate about ensign with blue cross

See also:

• War Ensign (Malaysia)
• Malaysia

Description

There is a photograph of the Malaysian Naval Ensign of 1963-1968 at the National Archives of Singapore. It was similar to the Royal Navy's White Ensign with the Union Flag replaced with the Malaysian Flag of 1963. It is in Singapore's archives, as Singapore was a state of Malaysia then, and Singapore flew the Malaysian Naval Ensign. A copy of the flag is also kept at the Republic of Singapore Navy Museum. The image is dated 30/12/1964 and its negative number is A5772/22.
There is also a Malaysian navy commission pennant at the Singapore Navy Museum, which is plain blue with the crescent and star from the Malaysian National Flag at the hoist.
I also came across the previous version of the Malayan Naval Ensign (1957-1963) in a book, which I will inform the list after I am able to reference it.
Herman Felani M.Y., 5 November 2003

You cannot tell this because it is a black and white photo, but the St. George's Cross on the old Malaysian naval ensign was blue.
Miles Li, 5 November 2003

I assure the cross is red. As I also said, one copy is kept at the Republic of Singapore Navy Museum, and it is clearly red. Unfortunately though, I do not have a colour photograph of the image for the list to reference.
     Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia 1990 [tld90] (Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia 55 Tahun (Royal Malaysian Navy 55 Years), Kuala Lumpur, 1990, NUS Library Call Number: VA667.1 Mal) is a pictorial commemorative book, commemorating the 55th anniversary of the TLDM. On pages 26 and 39 it shows the 1st Royal Malaysian Navy Sovereign's Colour, captioned, "His Majesty, Al-Marhum Tuanku Ismail Nasiruddin Shah handing over the Royal Colours to Lt. Yaacob bin Daud on March 12, 1966 (...) at KD Malaya, Woodlands, Singapore." (Side note: Malaysia maintained a naval base in Singapore before it moved its operations to the peninsula.) It was similar to the Queen's Colour of the Royal Navy. It was based on the Malaysian Naval Ensign of 1963-1968 (and yes, the cross on the Sovereign's Colour was also red). The centre of the cross is charged with the Malaysian Coat of Arms, as that appearing on the Royal Standard, with the laurel in gold. The Colour's fringes were yellow and black alternate blocks. The finial for the Colour Pike is the gold Royal Crown, like that on the Service emblem of the Royal Malaysian Police. The cords and tassels of the Sovereign's Colour were also in gold and black.
     On pages 28, 118 and 120 it shows the 2nd Royal Malaysian Navy Sovereign's Colour. Caption from page 28, "His Majesty, Sultan Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah, blessing the Royal Malayan Navy's new Royal colours at Woodlands Naval Base (Singapore) when he was the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong." It was not mentioned exactly when the new TLDM Colours were granted. Basically, the field was yellow, the centre charged with the Malaysian Coat-of-Arms. In addition, a small Service emblem of the Royal Malaysian Navy (not the emblem appearing on the current Naval Ensign) is charged in the canton. The fringes, cords and tassels were like those of the first Sovereign's Colour as mentioned above. In my opinion, I suppose it was presented once the new Naval Ensign was adopted.
     The photograph on page 24 of the Malayan Naval Ensign of 1952-1963 had the Federation of Malaya flag (11-pointed star, 11 stripes) in the canton and a cross throughout, as per the Royal Navy's White Ensign. The image was however in black and white so I cannot confirm the colour of the cross. Caption from page 22, "Malayan Naval Forces was conferred the 'Royal' title by Queen Elizabeth II in 1952 which was effective with the August 29, 1952 publication of the Singapore Government Gazette (Change of Name) following which the white background ensign of the Royal Malayan Navy fluttered over the naval base HMMS Malaya, for the first time, to replace the blue Royal Navy ensign." This is quoted entirely from the book. I am aware that the last part of the quote (...blue Royal Navy ensign...) is rather strange.
     With regards to the Commissioning Pennant of the Malaysian Navy, it is available on my website. The Royal Malaysian Navy Commissioning Pennant and Naval Ensign of 1963-1968 are displayed at the Singapore Navy Museum.
Herman Felani M.Y., 6 November 2003

I would like to verify Herman Felani M.Y.'s information, relying on two references which should be more widely available and authoritative. Barraclough 1969 [bar69], pp. 211-212, stated:

Units of the Royal Malayan Navy used to wear the White Ensign, Blue Masthead Pennant, and as a Jack a square Blue Ensign defaced by the badge of Singapore in the fly. These were replaced by the Federation Naval Ensign, Masthead Pennant and Jack in June 1958. The Naval ensign was similar to the White Ensign, except that the Union Flag in the upper canton was replaced by the Federation Flag. The Masthead Pennant is blue and has a crescent and star in gold at the head; the Jack is a diminutive Federation flag.

With the formation of Malaysia in September 1963, the Naval Ensign and Jack were again modified; the new ensign now has the National Flag of Malaysia in the upper canton, and similarly the jack is a miniature of the National Flag.

Flags of all Nations 1955 [hms58a] (as reprinted 1965) contains the following pages:

• Page 24B - Amendment No.5 - Federation of Malaya showing the Ensign (with red St George Cross) and Naval Pendant - I don't have an issue date
• Page 24B - Change No.3 - Federation of Malaysia showing the revised Ensign (with red St George Cross) - this was issued as at June 1965
• Page 24B - Change No. 4 - Federation of Malaysia showing the current Ensign (with blue anchor badge) - this was issued as at 5 September 1969

Ralph Kelly, 7 November 2003

First Royal Malaysian Navy Sovereign's Colour

The book Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia 55 Tahun 1990 [tld90], pp. 26 and 39, shows the first Royal Malaysian Navy Sovereign's Colour. Caption: "His Majesty, Al-Marhum Tuanku Ismail Nasiruddin Shah handing over the Royal Colours to Lt. Yaacob bin Daud on March 12, 1966 (...) at KD Malaya, Woodlands, Singapore" (Malaysia maintained a naval base in Singapore before it moved its operations to the peninsula).

It was similar to the Queen's Colour of the Royal Navy. It was based on the Malaysian Naval Ensign of 1963-1968 (and yes, the cross on the Sovereign's Colour was also red). The centre of the cross is charged with the Malaysian Coat of Arms, as that appearing on the Royal Standard. The Colour's fringes were yellow and black alternate blocks. The finial for the Colour Pike is the gold Royal Crown, like that on the Service emblem of the Royal Malaysian Police. The cords and tassels of the Sovereign's Colour were also in gold and black.
Herman Felani M.Y., 6 November 2003

Debate about spurious Ensign with Blue Cross

[Editor's note: this flag, although periodically reported, appears never to have existed.]

image by Željko Heimer, 5 November 2003

When I was a kid I had a model ship which came with two sets of flags - one the British White Ensign (with red cross), the other Malaysian (with blue cross).
Miles Li, 5 November 2003

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