The flag and the coat of arms of Johor are state symbols of Johor, Malaysia. Like other states of Malaysia with Malay royalties, the state symbols of Johor are influenced by Johor's royalties, as well as Islam and the political and natural features of the state.

Flag

Johor
UseCivil and state flag
Proportion1:2
Adopted1871
DesignNavy blue with a bright red field on the upper left canton, containing a white crescent and five-pointed star

Design

Johor's state flag bears a canton pattern, a predominantly navy blue design with a bright red field on the upper left canton (quarter), which contains a white crescent and a white five-pointed star.[1] Running slightly less than half the length of the flag, the field unconventionally occupies roughly three fifths of the flag's hoist. In addition, the crescent is not aligned upright, tilting to the right towards the lower fly end and wrapping slightly around the star, which is positioned towards the lower right corner of the field.[1]

The flag in general attempts to symbolise Johor as a whole. The navy blue, which occupies roughly three quarters of the flag, represents the universe,[1] or the state government.[2] The red represents the warriors that defend the state, while the white crescent and white star denote Islam and Johor's sovereign ruler, respectively.[1][2]

Variants

The vast majority of flags in use or formerly used by officials and government branches in the state borrow elements of the state flag, some of which are merely recolours. With the introduction of a unified state flag, many of them became obsolete, with the exception of the Royal Standards.

Standards

A series of Royal Standards are flown by the Sultan of Johor and his family, which lower-ranking members are assigned specific Standards. In addition, standards were also adopted for traditional high-ranking officials, including the bendahara, the Temenggung and the Sultan's Marshall.[1][3]

The Standards are typically plain flags with a star (of varying numbers of points) and crescent, with truncating triangles placed on each corner of the flag; only the Standards of the Sultan and the Crown Prince are depicted without the truncations. In addition, each flag, with the exception of the Sultan's Enquerries, are coloured in only two colours, including white, blue, red and yellow. The number of points on the star also determines the rank of the Standard holder: The Sultan's Standard depicts a nine-pointed star, while the Standard for other members of the royal family depicts a five-pointed star.

The series of Standards include:[3][4]

Governmental flags

As of 1939, flags were flown by numerous state officials in Johor, including the governing heads of state or district. The vast majority of flag consist of only a plain coloured flag with a five-pointed star and crescent similar to that from the state flag, with some divided diagonally a la party per bend. They include:[5]

In addition, pennants were known to be flown, illustrated as a triangular flag containing the same five pointed star and crescent. The "State Officials' Pennant" was coloured blue with a white star and crescent, while another variant of unknown use was coloured yellow with a blue star and crescent.[8]

District flags

Johor has ten administrative districts (daerah), each assigned their own district-level flags.[9] They were introduced on 3 March 2015.

District Flag Field colour Symbolisation
Johor Bahru Red
White
Blue		 A red-blue per bend divided flag with a white five-pointed star and crescent in the centre.
Kulai Red
White
Blue		 An orthogonally quartered flag with the first and fourth quarters coloured red, and the second and third quarters coloured blue with white five-pointed star and crescent in the centre.
Pontian Red
White
Blue		 A red-blue horizontally divided flag with a white five-pointed star and crescent in the centre.
Batu Pahat Red
White
Black		 A red-black per bend divided flag with a white five-pointed star and crescent in the centre.
Muar Red
White
Black
Yellow		 An orthogonally quartered flag with the first quarter coloured red with a white five-pointed star and crescent, the second and third quarters coloured black, and the fourth quarter coloured yellow with a red five-pointed star and crescent.
Tangkak Red
White
Blue		 A blue triangle on a red field flag with a white five-pointed star and crescent in the centre. The triangle symbolise Mount Ledang, a highest mountain in Johor.
Segamat Red
White
Yellow		 A red-white per bend divided flag with a yellow five-pointed star and crescent in the centre.
Kluang Red
White
Blue		 A blue field with a red diagonal band from the lower hoist side to the upper fly side with a white five-pointed star and crescent in the centre.
Mersing Red
White
Blue		 Two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and blue with a red isosceles triangle based on the hoist side with a white five-pointed star and crescent at the hoist. The white at an upper field symbolise South China Sea.
Kota Tinggi Red
White
Blue		 A diagonal tricolour of red, white and blue radiating from the lower hoist side corner with white five-pointed star and crescent at the upper hoist side. The white at a centre field symbolise Johor River where the old Sultanate of Johor was established here on 1528.

Although Simpang Renggam is not yet a district of Johor, the Simpang Renggam District Council flys its flag.[10] The Johor Bahru City Council also owns its flag too.

Town/City Flag Field colour
Simpang Renggam Red
White
Blue
Yellow
Johor Bahru City Red
White
Blue

Obsolete state flag

The Johorean flag is known to date back as early as the 1850s, when a flag that consisted of a simple black flag with a white canton shaped as a square was flown by the Sultanate between 1855 and 1865. The design was also adopted by Trumong, in present-day Indonesia.[1][11][12]

Historical flags of Johor
  • Up to 1855
    Up to 1855
  • 1855–65
    1855–65
  • 1865–71
    1865–71

Coat of arms

Coat of arms of Johor
ArmigerJohor
CrestRoyal crown of Johor proper
BlazonArgent a crescent and mullet between four smaller mullets Or fimbriated Azure
SupportersTwo tigers rampant proper
CompartmentTwo mirrored flora Or
Mottoکفد الله برسراه
(Kepada Allah Berserah)
'To Allah We Surrender' or 'Unto God Resigned'

Johor's coat of arms (Malay: Jata Johor) derives its layout heavily from Western heraldry, consisting of a central shield topped by a Crown, sided by two supporters, and includes a compartment and motto at the bottom. Details of the arms' elements are:

Crown
The crown represents Johor's royalty, and is symbolised by a blue and yellow adorned with motives of a five-pointed star and a crescent.[2]
Escutcheon
The arms' escutcheon consists of a white shield of an "English" outline with a central five-pointed star and crescent, and four smaller five-pointed stars at each corner of the shield; both the stars and the crescent are coloured in yellow. The larger star and crescent symbolise the Islamic faith, while the four stars represent the four original territories of modern Johor: Johor Bahru, Muar, Batu Pahat and Endau.[2]
Supporters
The arms features two supporters depicted by rampant tigers, which represents the two Johor tigers, Dengkis and Tepuk, which according to folklore are the mystical guardians of Johor.
Compartment and motto
The area below the shield include of a group of yellow, mirrored flora (compartment) hanging a blue scroll (motto). The compartment represents gambir and black pepper, crops cultivated by Johor's traditional agricultural industry.[2] The scroll, with text written in Jawi, reads Kepada Allah Berserah ('To Allah We Surrender' or 'Unto God Resigned').

City, district and municipal emblems

All local governments have their own emblems, which incorporate state symbols such as the two tigers and the royal crown of Johor.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Ian MacDonald (15 December 2016). "Johore (Malaysia)". Flags of the World. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Jata Johor" (in Malay). State Government of Johor. Archived from the original on 13 April 2009. Retrieved 7 August 2008.
  3. ^ a b Ian MacDonald (10 December 2010). "Royal Flags (Johore, Malaysia)". CRW Flags. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
  4. ^ "Bendera-Bendera [Panji-Panji Sultan Johor, Permaisuri Johor Dan Waris-Waris]" (in Malay). Coronation of HRH Sultan Ibrahim. 2015. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
  5. ^ a b Ian MacDonald (9 December 2013). "Rank Flags (Johore, Malaysia)". Flags of the World. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
  6. ^ "Bendera Muar" (in Malay). Muar District Office. Archived from the original on 17 February 2010. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
  7. ^ "Bendera-bendera Johor". Laman Web Rasmi Kemahkotaan DYMM Sultan Ibrahim, Sultan Johor.
  8. ^ Ian MacDonald (11 July 2015). "Ensigns and Other Naval Flags (Johore, Malaysia)". Flags of the World. Retrieved 25 September 2008.
  9. ^ Rossa Calla (2015). "Bendera-bendera daerah di Johor" (in Malay). Panduan Malaysia.com. Archived from the original on 8 April 2015. Retrieved 25 June 2018.[unreliable source?]
  10. ^ "Flag" (in Malay). Renggam District Council. 12 November 2015. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
  11. ^ Whitney Smith. "Black and White". North American Vexillological Association. Archived from the original on 21 June 2008. Retrieved 7 August 2008.
  12. ^ "Johor (Johore)". WorldStatesMen.org. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
Categories