7 Record Breaking Moments With The Jalur Gemilang

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From Everest to outer space, these are moments in history that show just how far our national flag has flown.
The Jalur Gemilang soaring high on the flagpole in Dataran Merdeka, reputed to be among the tallest in Asia when it was unveiled in 1989. (Muhaimin Marwan @ FMT Lifestyle)PETALING JAYA: Despite recent controversies over the display of the Jalur Gemilang, there’s no denying the powerful ways Malaysians have raised it with pride
From mountain summits to the Great Wall of China and even outer space, here are seven record-breaking moments that show just how far our national flag has flown.
1. The flagpole at Dataran Merdeka (1989)
In October 1989, Kuala Lumpur unveiled a 95m free-standing flagpole at Dataran Merdeka. It was reputed to be among the tallest in Asia at the time.
The project, completed in just nine months, was expedited to be ready for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) that year.
Fun fact: the Jalur Gemilang was first flown on May 26, 1950 – not at Dataran Merdeka but at the Selangor Palace!
2. Planting the flag on Everest (1997)
Holding the national flag, M Magendran (right) and N Mohanadas made history as the first Malaysians to conquer Everest.On May 23, 1997, M Magendran and N Mohanadas became the first from the country to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Just minutes apart, they unfurled the Jalur Gemilang on the world’s highest peak, standing at 8,848m above sea level.
Their success placed Malaysia among fewer than 50 nations to have scaled Everest at the time. That year also marked the 40th anniversary of Merdeka, adding symbolic weight to the feat.
Later, both climbers were honoured with datukships and appeared on national postage stamps.
3. Flags across the Great Wall (2000 & 2003)
Universiti Teknologi Mara students unfurling a 3.2km Jalur Gemilang on the Great Wall of China in 2003. (Facebook pic)Malaysian students have turned heads in China with record-breaking displays of patriotism. In 2000, a group from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia carried a 2km-long Jalur Gemilang on the Great Wall.
Just three years later, 23 Universiti Teknologi Mara students broke that record by unfurling a 3.2km version across the same site. While fasting, they braved the cold weather to unfurl the flag – a process that took 4 hours and 17 minutes.
For their efforts, they earned a spot in the Malaysia Book of Records, and recognition abroad for possibly the longest flag in the world at the time.
4. The Jalur Gemilang in space (2007)
Malaysia’s first astronaut, Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, brought the national flag to outer space in 2007. (Bernama pic)Malaysia’s first astronaut, Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, made history on Oct 10, 2007 when he blasted off aboard Soyuz TMA-11 from Baikonur, Kazakhstan.
Selected from over 11,000 hopefuls for the Angkasawan programme, he spent more than a year training in Moscow’s Star City before joining the Expedition 16 crew to the International Space Station (ISS).
Along with his spacesuit bearing the flag, he carried the Jalur Gemilang and even fixed the national coat of arms on a corner of the ISS, so a part of Malaysia would always remain in orbit.
His approximately 10-day mission coincided with the country’s 50th year of independence.
5. Water bottle flag and more in Sabah (2009)
Students from SMK St Patrick in Membakut, Sabah, have a knack for turning recyclables into patriotic art. In 2009, they were recognised by the Malaysia Book of Records for creating the longest Jalur Gemilang – some 196m long and 2.94m wide – using 26,236 recycled mineral water bottles.
The school subsequently added three more records: the largest Sabah flag made from beverage cans (2014), the largest woven Sabah flag using aluminium cans (2017), and the largest Sabah state map crafted from bottle caps (2023).
6. Biggest photo collage in Pangkor (2019)
This Jalur Gemilang collage was created in Pangkor with 21,000 photographs. (Malaysia Book of Records Facebook pic)In 2019, volunteers in Pangkor created a Jalur Gemilang with a personal touch: a 27m-by-12m flag was laid out on the beach and 21,000 photographs were placed on top of it, each capturing a memory of Malaysians with the national flag, from Japan to Central Africa.
It took three months to collect the images and four hours to assemble the display, which went into the Malaysia Book of Records as the country’s largest photo collage.
7. A human chain in Terengganu (2024)
At Bukit Bauk in Terengganu, around 2,000 people came together last October to form a “human chain” with the Jalur Gemilang. Participants lined the 2.2km trail, holding flags overhead in a colourful display of unity.
The effort was certified as the longest Jalur Gemilang human chain in Malaysia, and served as both a community fitness event and a celebration of patriotism. - FMT

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