Red Ensign of Singapore

Last updated
Flag ratio: 1:2 Civil Ensign of Singapore.svg
FIAV 000100.svg Flag ratio: 1:2

The Red Ensign of Singapore is a civil ensign used by privately owned, non-military ships that are registered in Singapore. The overall design of the ensign is a modification of the national flag, with the ratio of the width to the length extended to 1:2. The ensign was created by law in 1966. The use of this ensign is regulated by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA). According to the MPA, the Red Ensign is the only ensign to be used on Singaporean civilian ships, and the national flag is not an acceptable substitute. The ensign must be hoisted on all Singaporean ships on entering or leaving port.

Contents

History

In 1966, a year after Singapore's independence from Malaysia, a document entitled Singapore Merchant Marine Ensign and numbered Misc. 5 of 1966, was laid before Parliament on 6 September 1966 by the Deputy Prime Minister. The document created a civil ensign that was to be used on ships registered in Singapore. The Red Ensign has been in use since then. [1]

Design

According to the Parliamentary paper Misc. 5 of 1966, the background of the ensign is red with the ratio of its width to its length being one by two. In contrast, the ratio of the national flag of Singapore is two by three. [2] In the centre of the ensign is a white ring, which surrounds a crescent and five stars also coloured white. The five stars are arranged such that they form a pentagon in the middle. The crescent and stars are taken from the national flag, although in the ensign the crescent appears underneath rather than to the left of the stars, similar to the national coat of arms. According to a 1999 circular National Colours for Singapore Ships issued by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), the red colour of the civil ensign is the same as that of the national flag. [3] The shade of red has been defined by the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts as Pantone 032. [2]

Construction sheet

The MPA's 1999 circular includes a construction sheet with detailed dimensions for the manufacture of the flag. [3] The sheet is in inches and centimetres. The overall dimensions of the flag are 36 inches (91.44 cm) by 72 inches (182.88 cm). The space between the top of the ensign to the top of the ring, and the bottom of the ring to the bottom of the ensign, is 9.7 inches (24.64 cm). The outer diameter of the ring is 16.6 inches (42.16 cm), and the ring itself is 0.95 inches (2.41 cm) in thickness. The outer curve of the crescent has a radius of 5.45 inches (13.84 cm). Each star fits within a circle with a diameter of 3.2 inches (8.13 cm), and the centres of the five stars are positioned 72° from each other along the circumference of an imaginary circle with a radius of 3.25 inches (8.26 cm). The centre of the imaginary circle is 6.4 inches (16.26 cm) from the lowest point of the inner curve of the crescent. [4]

Regulations

Members of a boat's crew standing in front of a Red Ensign RedEnsignofSingapore-20051226-cropped.jpg
Members of a boat's crew standing in front of a Red Ensign

Section 36(1) of the Merchant Shipping Act of 1995 empowers the relevant Minister to prescribe an ensign for Singaporean ships, which shall then be the "proper colours for a Singapore ship." [5] Section 36(2) goes on to state that the master of a ship, the ship's owner if he is on board, and any other person hoisting colours may be fined up to S$1,000 if, instead of the Red Ensign, any other "distinctive national colours" are hoisted on board any Singapore ship without the Minister's consent. Under section 37 of the Act, if a Singapore ship fails to hoist the Red Ensign on entering or leaving any port, the ship master may be fined up to $1,000. [5]

The MPA's 1999 circular calls the attention of owners, masters and officers of Singapore ships to sections 36 and 37 of the Merchant Shipping Act. In particular, paragraph 3 of the circular points out that "the Singapore national flag does not [substitute] the Red Ensign". [3]

Notes

  1. Misc. 5 of 1966 is on file at the National University of Singapore Central Library under the call number V305.12Ssm 1966: see Civil Ensign (Singapore), Flags of the World, 14 February 2007, retrieved 2008-12-14.
  2. 1 2 The National Symbols Kit, Singapore: Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts, 2001, p. 5, OCLC   49823410 .
  3. 1 2 3 Lee Seng Kong (Director of Marine) (20 July 1999), National Colours for Singapore Ships (MC No. 13 of 1999), Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, archived from the original on 25 May 2011, retrieved 2008-12-04.
  4. The Red Ensign [construction sheet], Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, 20 July 1999, archived from the original (GIF) on 13 February 2012, retrieved 2012-02-18 .
  5. 1 2 Merchant Shipping Act( Cap. 179,1996 Rev. Ed. ).

Related Research Articles

Flag Piece of fabric with a distinctive design

A flag is a piece of fabric with a distinctive design and colours. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term flag is also used to refer to the graphic design employed, and flags have evolved into a general tool for rudimentary signalling and identification, especially in environments where communication is challenging. The study of flags is known as "vexillology" from the Latin vexillum, meaning "flag" or "banner".

Union Jack National flag of the United Kingdom

The Union Jack, or Union Flag, is the national flag of the United Kingdom. The flag also has official status in Canada, by parliamentary resolution, where it is known as the Royal Union Flag. Additionally, it is used as an official flag in some of the smaller British overseas territories. The Union Flag also appears in the canton of the flags of several nations and territories that are former British possessions or dominions, as well as the state flag of Hawaii. The claim that the term Union Jack properly refers only to naval usage has been disputed, following historical investigations by the Flag Institute in 2013.

Flag of Romania National flag

The national flag of Romania is a tricolor with vertical stripes, beginning from the flagpole: blue, yellow and red. It has a width-length ratio of 2:3.

Red Ensign

The Red Ensign or "Red Duster" is the civil ensign of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It is one of the British ensigns, and it is used either plain or defaced with a badge or other emblem, mostly in the right half.

Flag of Singapore National flag

The national flag of Singapore was adopted in 1959, the year Singapore became self-governing within the British Empire. It was reconfirmed as the national flag when the republic gained independence from Malaysia on 9 August 1965. Prior to its independence, it was the only state flag in Malaysia not to have a 1:2 ratio. The design is a horizontal bicolour of red above white, overlaid in the canton by a white crescent moon facing a pentagon of five small white five-pointed stars. The elements of the flag denote a young nation on the ascendant, universal brotherhood and equality, and national ideals.

Flag of the Bahamas National flag of The Bahamas

The national flag of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas consists of a black triangle situated at the hoist with three horizontal bands: aquamarine, gold and aquamarine. Adopted in 1973 to replace the British Blue Ensign defaced with the emblem of the Crown Colony of the Bahama Islands, it has been the flag of the The Bahamas since the country gained independence that year. The design of the present flag incorporated the elements of various submissions made in a national contest for a new flag prior to independence.

Flag of Grenada National flag

The flag of Grenada consists of two yellow triangles at the top and bottom and two green triangles at the hoist and fly. These are surrounded by a red border charged with six five-pointed yellow stars – three at the top centre and three at the bottom centre – along with an additional star on a red disc at the centre and a nutmeg at the hoist triangle. Adopted in 1974 to replace the temporary design used since the islands became an Associated State of the United Kingdom, it has been the flag of Grenada since the country gained independence that year. Designed by a local Grenadian, it utilizes the colours of the Pan-Africanist movement. The representation of a nutmeg is symbolic of the islands' primary export, and was the one feature from the previous flag that was preserved.

Flag of the United Arab Emirates National flag


The flag of the United Arab Emirates contains the Pan-Arab colors. It was designed in 1971 by Abdullah Mohammed Al Maainah and was adopted on 2 December 1971.

Flag of the British Virgin Islands

The flag of the British Virgin Islands was adopted by Royal Warrant on 15 November 1960 after the islands were made into a separate British colony. Previously, the territory was administered as part of the British Leeward Islands.

Flag of Zambia National flag

The flag of Zambia is the national flag of Zambia. It was adopted upon independence on 24 October 1964. Before that, Zambia was the British protectorate of Northern Rhodesia and used a defaced Blue Ensign as its flag.

Maritime flag Flag designated for use on ships or at sea

A maritime flag is a flag designated for use on ships, boats, and other watercraft. Naval flags are considered important at sea and the rules and regulations for the flying of flags are strictly enforced. The flag flown is related to the country of registration: so much so that the word "flag" is often used symbolically as a synonym for "country of registration".

White Ensign

The White Ensign, at one time called the St George's Ensign due to the simultaneous existence of a cross-less version of the flag, is an ensign flown on British Royal Navy ships and shore establishments. It consists of a red St George's Cross on a white field with the Union Flag in the upper canton.

Pennant (commissioning)

The commissioning pennant is a pennant flown from the masthead of a warship. The history of flying a commissioning pennant dates back to the days of chivalry with their trail pendants being flown from the mastheads of ships they commanded. Today, the commissioning pennants are hoisted on the day of commissioning and not struck until they are decommissioned. Some navies have a custom of flying a "paying off" or "decommissioning pennant," the length of which often reflects the length of service of the warship.

Australian Red Ensign

The Australian Red Ensign resulted from the Commonwealth Government's 1901 Federal Flag Design Competition which required two entries: a flag for official Commonwealth Government use and another for the merchant navy. The winning design was based on the traditional British Red Ensign and featured the Southern Cross and Commonwealth Star.

Ensign of the United States Flag used on United States maritime vessels.

The ensign of the United States is the flag of the United States when worn as an ensign. International maritime law—see International Treaty on Law of the Sea, articles 91 and 92—provides that vessels have a "national character" and thus should display a flag (ensign) that corresponds to this national character, especially when in international or foreign waters. Vessels that are formally documented under the federal vessel documentation act, vessels owned by government bodies in the United States, and vessels in the U.S. military unquestionably have U.S. national character, and thus properly hoist a U.S. ensign to show their national character. Vessels that are numbered by the states and small, non-registered craft owned by U.S. citizens and not registered in other countries may also hoist a U.S. ensign to show their national character.

Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore is a statutory board under the Ministry of Transport of the Government of Singapore.

A civil ensign is an ensign used by civilian vessels to denote their nationality. It can be the same or different from the state ensign and the naval ensign. It is also known as the merchant ensign or merchant flag. Some countries have special civil ensigns for yachts, and even for specific yacht clubs, known as yacht ensigns.

The flag and coat of arms of Kedah are the state symbols of Kedah, Malaysia. Very little distinction is present between the flag and coat of arms of the state, as the flag consists of only a red field with the state arms on the upper hoist.

National symbols of Singapore are the symbols that are used in Singapore to represent what is unique about the nation, reflecting different aspects of its cultural life and history.

MT Bunga Kelana 3 is an Aframax tanker built in 1998, owned and operated by AET Tanker Holdings, a subsidiary of Malaysian International Shipping Corporation (MISC) to transport crude oil from Bintulu, Sarawak.