Penang State emblem and Flag

The State emblem shows an areca nut tree above a tricolour shield of yellow, blue and white. The island derives its name from the areca nut tree (pokok pinang in Malay). Inside the shield, the Penang Bridge is shown against a yellow background. It symbolises unity between the State and the Federal government. The two pillars of the bridge represent the dual objectives of the New Economic Policy, that is, the eradication of poverty and the restructuring of society. The four cables of the bridge represent the four major races, Malay, Chinese, Indians and others. The five blue and white waves below the bridge stand for the five principles of the Rukunegara (the national ideology) and the 5 administrative districts of the state. The five blue and white sections at the base of the areca nut tree have the same significance.


The tricolour flag features vertical stripes of equal width with an areca nut tree on the white centre panel. Light blue represents the sea surrounding the island; white stands for its serenity and yellow signifies prosperity. Pulau Pinang (Penang Island) derives its name from the areca nut tree, called pokok pinang in Malay.



Information bought to you by My Far East