The Brunei Darussalam State Flag in its present from except for the crest, has been in use since 1906 when Brunei become a protected state, following the signing of an agreement between Brunei and Great Britain. The crest was superimposed in 1959 after the promulgation of the Constitution of 29th September 1959.
Prior to 1906 Brunei had no state flag but individual flags or personal standards were very much in use. Of the personal standards, those of the Sultan and the Wazirs were the most important.
In the old days Brunei had four wazirs or principal state officials to whom the Sultan delegated his executive and administrative powers in accordance with their ranks.
Of the wazirs, the most senior at the time was the Pengiran Bendahara. The three other wazirs, in order of seniority, were the Pengiran Digadong, the Pengiran Pemancha and Pengiran Temenggong.
A premier wazir with the title of Duli Yang Teramat Mulia Pengiran Perdana Wazir Sahibul Himmah Wal-Waqar was appointed on 6th February 1970. As the title suggests the Duli Pengiran Perdana Wazir takes precedence over all the other four wazirs.
The Perdana Wazir has also a personal standard granted to him by His Majesty the Sultan. The standard is white superimposed in the centre with the state crest in light yellow. The crest is supported by ‘Si Kikil’, a keris crossed by its sheath.
The personal standards of the Pengiran Bendahara, Pengiran Digadong, Pengiran Pemancha and Pengiran Temenggong are white, green, black and red respectively.
The Sultan has also bestowed personal flags to lesser officials known as Pengiran Cheterias and to Pengirans and other rakyat (subjects).
When Brunei signed the agreement of 1906, it was felt that the state should fall in line with international practice in regard to the adoption of a flag for the state.
Suggestions were put forward and sketches were made on the proposed State Flag. Finally the design of the existing flag of yellow, white and black was adopted.
The choice of those colours were symbolic of the fact that the principal signatories to the agreement were the Sultan, the Pengiran Bendahara and the Pengiran Pemancha whose colours of yellow, white and black respectively, were accordingly incorporated in the new flag.
The reason why the colours of the wazirs were not incorporated in the new flag was that at that time there were only two wazirs living, the signatories to the agreement. The Pengiran Digadong and Pengiran Temenggong had died and their positions has not been filled at the time of the signing of the agreement.
After the adoption of the State Flag, flags already in existence continued to be in use and flown on state occasions to distinguish individual ranks. The new State Flag was flown only at government buildings and by non-Brunei residents of the state.
The use of flags was consolidated after the promulgation of the Constitution of the 29th September 1959, to reduce to a minimum the number of flags on state occasions.
With the exception of those specially authorized by the Sultan to retain their personal standards, the individual flags of the rakyat and the lesser Pengirans were abolished.
They now fly the State Flag on all national occasions.
Among the Pengirans and dignitaries who are authorized to use personal standards are:
- Descendants of Sultan down to four genrations,
- Decendants of Wazirs down to three generations,
- Decendents of Cheterias down to two generations,
- Menteris down to Damong.
Their personal standards incorporate the State Crest in red on yellow background at the top left corners of the flags.
Following the promulgation of the Constitution, minor alterations were made to the personal standards of His Majesty the Sultan and Her Majesty the Raja Isteri.
His Majesty now has a personal standard of yellow incorporating the Royal Crest on red background at the centre of the standard.
The standard of Her Majesty the Raja Isteri is light yellow incorporating the Royal Crest on red background at the centre of the standard.
The rectangular shaped State Flag of four component portions – two parallelograms and two trapeziums – is cut across by a parallelolgram from a point 2 ½ inches below the top left corner to a point of the same distance from the bottom corner of the right side.
The standard measures 72 inches long by 36 inches wide.
The parallelogram is dividing the rectangle in this manner leaves two similar trapeziums at the top and bottom of the flag, with the lower trapezium assuming the inverted form of the upper trapezium.
The parallelogram is again divided into two parallelograms of unequal depths, the upper being one inch wider that the lower which is 7 ½ inches in width.
The centre of the flag is superimposed by the State Crest in red.
The forefingers of the upright arm which support the red crest are equidistant at 24 inches from the left and right sides of the flag.
The state motto is incorporated in the crest. Written in the Arabic script in yellow lettering, it means ‘Always render service by God’s guidance’.
Four colours are incorporated in the flag, red for the crest, yellow for the trapezium, white for the upper parallelogram and black for the lower parallelogram.
THE BRUNEI DARUSSALAM FLAG
The characters inscribed on the cresent means: ‘Always render service by God’s guidance’.
