History Reveals…

The national flag of Singapore was first adopted in 1959 , the year Singapore became self-governing within the British Empire . It was reconfirmed as the national flag when the Republic gained independence on 9 August 1965 . The design is a horizontal bicolor of red above white, charged in the canton by a white crescent moon facing, toward the fly, a pentagon of five small white five-pointed stars. The elements of the flag denote a young nation on the ascendant, universal brotherhood and equality, and national ideals.

The national flag is not used as an ensign by vessels at sea. In its place, one of three derivatives of the national flag is used, depending on a vessel's status: merchant vessels and pleasure craft fly a civil ensign of red charged in white with a variant of the crescent and stars emblem in the centre; non-military government vessels such as coast guard ships fly a state ensign of blue with the national flag in the canton, charged with an eight-pointed red and white compass rose in the lower fly ; and warships fly a naval ensign similar to the state ensign, but in white with a red compass rose emblem.

Rules defined by the Singapore Arms and Flag and National Anthem Act govern the use and display of the national flag. These rules have been relaxed in order to allow citizens to fly the flag from vehicles during national holidays and from homes at any time of the year.

Design

The Singapore Arms and Flag and National Anthem Rules define the flag's composition and the symbolism of its elements: red symbolizes "universal brotherhood and equality of man", and white, "pervading and everlasting purity and virtue". The waxing crescent moon "represents a young nation on the ascendant". The five stars "stand for the nation's ideals of democracy, peace, progress, justice and equality".

The ratio of the flag is two units high by three units wide. For the manufacturing of flags, the Government of Singapore recommends a few sizes and suggests that the shade of red used on the flag be Pantone 032. According to guidelines published by the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts (MICA), the flag may be reproduced in any size and displayed at all times, but it must be in its specified proportions and colours. MICA recommends the sizes 915 by 1,370 millimeters (approx. 36 by 54 inches ), 1,220 by 1,830 mm (approx. 48 by 72 in) and 1,830 by 2,740 mm (approx. 72 by 108 in).