![[Penang (Malaysia)]](../images/m/my-p.gif)
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by Clay Moss, 16 August 2006
Last modified: 2006-09-23 by ian macdonald
Keywords: penang | pulau pinang | palm tree |
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by Clay Moss, 16 August 2006
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Penang has the only vertically divided flag in Malaysia: (light) blue - white - yellow with a palm tree in the middle.
Jaume Ollé, 14 January 1996
The flag is a tricolour consisting of vertical stripes of equal width of light blue (at the hoist), white and yellow; on the central (white) stripe is an areca nut palm (known in Malay as pokok pinang) on a mount. Light blue signifies the sea which surrounds the island. The white represents the State itself in its serenity. The yellow signifies prosperity. The betelnut (or areca nut) tree is the tree from which the island takes its name. There is no sultan of this state as it was once a component part of the British Straits Settlements.
Tom W. Koh, 14 May 1997
The tree in the middle of the flag is the pinang tree which is the state tree of Penang. The Malay word for Penang is Pulau Pinang or Pinang Island.
Giuseppe Bottasini, 13 August 1997
I received an interesting call from the Penang Governor's office several
weeks ago. It turns out that they have seen the Penang flag illustrations I drew
up and wondered if I might make a minor modification. The modification is subtle
but, (evidently), significant in the minds of Penang folk. I have added a shoot
to the palm tree and you can see it pointing straight up out of the top. The
shoot is representative of regeneration.
Clay Moss, 16 August 2006
![[Penang (Malaysia)]](../images/m/my-p2.gif)
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by Clay Moss, 16 August 2006
Should the palm tree have a blue and white heraldic wreath [torse] under it?
Andrew Yong, 7 April 1999
If you look at the image there you will see that the bottom of the green mound is cut as if there used to be a torse there. I sometimes see flags with the wreath/torse: I wonder when it was officially removed, or if the flags with wreaths are mistakes.
Andrew Yong, 8 April 1999
Probably 95% of all flags are manufactured without the torse, but there are still a few old timers who continue to illustrate it.
Clay Moss, 9 February 2005
The torsed version is still used, particularly by state government. Both
flags are civil and government flags. I believe there's a pragmatic explanation
as to why the torse disappeared. When screen printing methods began to be used
for making the center panels on Penang flags, 3 colors were required if a torse
was to be included. Otherwise, the flag could be printed with only 2 colors.
It's less expensive and time consuming that way. Now that they're all printed, I
wouldn't be surprised the see the torse reappear in a big way. The torsed flags
are much more attractive. Also, at some point in time, the number of twists or
knots in the torse were reduced from 6 to 5. In older illustrations of Penang's
full coat of arms, the torse under the tree is of the 6 twist variety. I have
never seen a flag with 6 twists, and wonder if they ever existed.
Clay Moss, 23 February 2005
Recently, I was in a nearby mall, and they have an historical Penang display
up at the moment. It is a series of photos showing British Penang being handed
over to Malaya. There are several pictures of Penang flags in the display
including the main flag that was hoisted during the hand over ceremony. It looks
to be probably 6x12 feet and includes the torse under the pinang tree. There's
also a picture of the brand new Penang state Governor sitting at his new desk
with a Penang flag behind him, also sporting the torse. The last photo that
clearly illustrated flags showed several other Penang flags fluttering, all of
which had torses. My conclusion is that the torse was initially the norm in the
beginning. It is starting to make a bit of a come back and both the torsed and
non-torsed flags should be considered at least de facto official.
Clay Moss, 16 August 2006