The Coat of Arms of Malaysia shows a 14-pointed star which represents the equality of the 13 states and their union with the Federal Government. The star and crescent moon are symbols of Islam, the official religion of Malaysia.
The five kris at the top of the shield represent the five former Unfederated Malay States, namely Johor, Kedah, Perlis, Kelantan and Terengganu. Below, the betel tree (and the Penang Bridge?) on the left represents Penang Island and the Melaka tree on the right represents the state of Malacca. They were once part of the (British) Straits Settlements.
The four colour panels represent the former Federated Malay States: Pahang, Perak, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan.
The states of Sabah and Sarawak are represented at the bottom of the shield, on the extreme left and right respectively. The national flower, the bunga raya (hibiscus) appears between them.
The tigers on either side of the shield symbolise courage and strength. This symbol was also used previously in the coat of arms of the Federation of Malaya.
The yellow background of the motto Bersekutu Bertambah Mutu (translation) in Roman and Jawi script symbolises the royal colour of the rulers.
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