The flag

Flag

A flag is a piece of fabric with a distinctive design that is usually rectangular and used as a symbol, as a signaling device, or decoration. The term flag is also used to refer to the graphic design employed by a flag, or to its depiction in another medium.The first flags were used to assist...

 and the coat of arms

Coat of arms

A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...

 of Perlis are state symbols of Perlis

Perlis

Perlis is the smallest state in Malaysia. It lies at the northern part of the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and has Satun and Songkhla Provinces of Thailand on its northern border. It is bordered by the state of Kedah to the south...

, a state

States of Malaysia

Malaysia is a federation which consists of thirteen states and three federal territories . Eleven states and two federal territories are located on the Malay Peninsula while the remaining two states and one federal territory are on the island of Borneo.-The states and federal territories:Malaysia...

 in Malaysia. Centering around Perlis' monarch and agricultural activities, its flag and arms are similar in symbolisation as the state symbols of Kedah, which it neighbours.

Design

The flag of Perlis consists of a horizontal bicoloured flag with equally proportionate bands of yellow on the upper half and dark blue on the lower half, sharing a similar design only to the flag of Pahang. The yellow band represents the Raja of Perlis, while the blue represents the people; with the yellow band over the blue band, the flag attempts to signify the close relationship forged between the Raja and the people of Perlis. The flag is intended to be produced with a flag proportion

Proportionality (mathematics)

In mathematics, two variable quantities are proportional if one of them is always the product of the other and a constant quantity, called the coefficient of proportionality or proportionality constant. In other words, are proportional if the ratio \tfrac yx is constant. We also say that one...

 of 1:2; a past variant of the flag following a 2:3 proportion, however, is also known.

The flag is similar to the flag of Ukraine

Flag of Ukraine

The flag of Ukraine is the national flag of Ukraine. The national flag was officially adopted for the first time in 1918 by a short-lived Ukrainian People's Republic. At that time the commonly used yellow–blue flag had already turned into blue and yellow and sported a trident in the upper left...

, but has a reversed arrangement of colours with a darker shade of blue and a different flag ratio.

Royal Standard

The Raja of Perlis flies his own Royal Standard

Royal Standard

The Royal Standard of the United Kingdom is the flag used by Elizabeth II in her capacity as Sovereign of the United Kingdom and its overseas territories...

, consisting of only a yellow flag with the state's coat of arms in green. The yellow, like the Royal Standard of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong

Yang di-Pertuan Agong

The Yang di-Pertuan Agong is the head of state of Malaysia. The office was established in 1957 when the Federation of Malaya gained independence....

 and Perlis' state flag, represents royalty, while the emblem identifies the Standard with Perlis' Raja.

A plain white flag with "Perlis" written in Jawi was previously used as the monarch's Royal Standard.

Coat of arms

The coat of arms of Perlis, significantly different from the state flag, is illustrated in green and yellow, and consists of only two heraldic

Heraldry

Heraldry is the profession, study, or art of creating, granting, and blazoning arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms. Heraldry comes from Anglo-Norman herald, from the Germanic compound harja-waldaz, "army commander"...

 elements, a shield and a wreath

Wreath

A wreath is an assortment of flowers, leaves, fruits, twigs and/or various materials that is constructed to resemble a ring. They are used typically as Christmas decorations to symbolize the coming of Christ, also known as the Advent season in Christianity. They are also used as festive headdresses...

, which nearly envelops the shield. Details of the arm's heraldic elements are as followed:

Escutcheon

The escutcheon, the central element of the arms, is depicted as a green shield

Shield

A shield is a type of personal armor, meant to intercept attacks, either by stopping projectiles such as arrows or redirecting a hit from a sword, mace or battle axe to the side of the shield-bearer....

 containing additional elements: "Perlis" scripted in Jawi (ڨرليس) and a yellow wreath that completely surrounds the script, both of which are yellow. The shield in entirety symbolises the glory of the state.

Wreath

Wreath

A wreath is an assortment of flowers, leaves, fruits, twigs and/or various materials that is constructed to resemble a ring. They are used typically as Christmas decorations to symbolize the coming of Christ, also known as the Advent season in Christianity. They are also used as festive headdresses...

The wreath is illustrated as a pair of green untied rice

Rice

Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...

 stalks that nearly envelope the shield. The wreath, like those from Kedah's arms, signifies the cultivation of rice as the state's main product and a major source of its economic activities. The yellow wreath within the arm's shield may carry the same symbolisation.