A brief overview of the meaning, history, and key facts about the national flag of Singapore.
Flag of Singapore
The national flag of Singapore consists of two equal horizontal stripes, red above white. In the upper hoist-side corner of the red stripe is a white crescent moon beside five white stars arranged in a circle. The red color represents universal brotherhood and equality, while the white symbolizes purity and virtue. The crescent moon reflects a young nation on the rise, and the five stars represent Singapore’s ideals of democracy, peace, progress, justice, and equality.
Printable Singapore Flag (PNG Download)
Interesting facts about Singapore’s flag
1. The national flag of Singapore was first unveiled on 3 December 1959, when the country became self-governing within the British Empire.
2. The flag was designed by a committee headed by Deputy Prime Minister Dr Toh Chin Chye, who studied the flags of many countries to avoid similarities with existing designs.
3. The flag originally featured three stars, but two additional stars were added to distinguish it from the emblem of the Malayan Communist Party.
4. The original flag proposal was entirely red. However, the design was changed because red was widely associated with communism at the time.
5. The crescent moon was partly included to reassure Singapore’s Malay-Muslim community. Although the crescent is often associated with Islam, Singapore’s government has emphasized that on the national flag it represents a young nation on the rise.
6. Although first adopted in 1959, the flag was reconfirmed as Singapore’s national flag when the country gained full independence in 1965.
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Evolution of Singapore’s flag
Flag of the British East India Company (1824–1857)
During the early colonial period, Singapore was administered by the British East India Company and used its flag featuring red and white stripes with the Union Jack in the canton.
Flag of the Straits Settlements (1868–1946)
After the Straits Settlements became a British Crown Colony, a British Blue Ensign with a badge showing three crowns was used to represent the colony.
Flag of the Crown Colony of Singapore (1946–1959)
Following the dissolution of the Straits Settlements after World War II, Singapore became a separate Crown Colony and adopted a Blue Ensign displaying the colony’s badge.
Fry1989 eh?, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
National flag of Singapore (1959–present)
Singapore introduced its current red-and-white national flag with a crescent moon and five stars when it became self-governing in 1959. The same design was retained after full independence.
History of Singapore’s flag
Colonial period
In the 19th century Singapore came under British rule and was incorporated into the Straits Settlements together with Penang and Malacca. During this time the colony was represented by a British Blue Ensign featuring three gold crowns representing the three settlements.
After the Second World War, Singapore became a separate Crown Colony and adopted a modified version of the colonial flag that displayed a single crown.
Creation of the national flag
When Singapore became self-governing in 1959, a new national flag was needed to replace the British colonial flag. A committee headed by Deputy Prime Minister Dr Toh Chin Chye was tasked with designing the new national symbols.
The committee initially considered several designs before choosing a red and white flag featuring a crescent moon and five stars. The design was approved by the Legislative Assembly on 18 November 1959.
The new national flag was officially unveiled on 3 December 1959 during the installation of the country’s first head of state, Yusof bin Ishak.
Independence and continued use
Singapore briefly joined the Federation of Malaysia in 1963, during which the Malaysian flag was flown over the country.
When Singapore became fully independent on 9 August 1965, the red-and-white flag with the crescent and five stars was confirmed as the national flag of the Republic of Singapore.
Explore more: Asian flags.
Caitriona Maria is an education writer and owner of The Facts Institute. With seven years of teaching experience and a background in educational content, she specialises in creating clear reference resources about countries, geography and global topics.