Flag of Singapore

What the flag of Singapore looks like

The national flag of Singapore is divided into two equal horizontal halves: red above and white below. The proportions are 2:3. In the top left corner, on the red half, there is a white crescent moon. Next to it is a pentagon of five small white five-pointed stars, facing the open side of the crescent.

The flag has no other emblem. The government states that the shade of red is Pantone 032. You can see the design at a small size in the Singapore flag emoji.

Singapore flag meaning and symbolism

The meaning is defined in Singapore's National Symbols Act. Red symbolizes universal fellowship and equality, and white stands for pervading and everlasting purity and virtue. The crescent moon represents a young country on the rise, and the five stars stand for the ideals on which the nation is built: democracy, peace, progress, justice and equality.

The crescent and stars are sometimes mistaken for an Islamic sign, as they appear on several flags of Muslim-majority countries. In Singapore the law defines the crescent as a young nation on the ascendant, although some Muslim activists see it as representing Islam. According to an account by Lee Kuan Yew, the stars were meant to appeal to the Chinese majority and the crescent to the Malay minority. Rumours that the five stars stood for Malaya, Singapore, North Borneo, Sarawak and Brunei were rejected by the government.

History of the Singapore flag

In the 19th century Singapore was part of the British Straits Settlements, whose flag was a Blue Ensign with a red diamond holding three gold crowns. The settlement of Singapore had no flag of its own. During the Japanese occupation in the Second World War the Japanese flag was used on land by the military and at public events.

Singapore became self-governing on 3 June 1959. A committee led by Deputy Prime Minister Toh Chin Chye designed the current flag in about two months, and it was officially adopted on 3 December 1959, at the installation of Yusof Ishak as head of state, together with the state coat of arms and the national anthem. An early proposal was a plain red flag with a golden star; the crescent and extra stars were added later, in part to distance the design from communist symbols and to reassure the Malay-Muslim community.

Singapore merged into Malaysia on 16 September 1963, and the Malaysian flag was hoisted over Singapore. The Singapore flag was reconfirmed as the national flag when Singapore became fully independent on 9 August 1965. The design has not changed since. National Day on 9 August is the main occasion when the flag is flown.

Rules for displaying the Singapore flag

Singapore has laws on how the flag may be used. The National Symbols Act, in force since 1 August 2023 (it replaced the earlier Arms and Flag and National Anthem Act), regulates the flag. When hung, the flag must have the crescent and stars at the top left as seen by the viewer. It must not touch the ground, be displayed below other flags or objects, or be shown if damaged or dirty. Permission is needed for commercial use. Singaporeans are encouraged to display the flag around National Day, and rules on personal use are relaxed from 1 July to 30 September.

Singapore flag vs Indonesia flag

The flags of Singapore and Indonesia are often compared because both are red above white. The difference is easy to see. Singapore's flag has the white crescent and five stars on the red half, while Indonesia's is plain. Monaco has the same two colors and no emblem, with a shape closer to a square, and Poland has white above red. Toh Chin Chye himself opposed a red-and-white design at first because he thought it too similar to the flags of Indonesia and Poland. See all flags of the world to compare more.