The Indonesian national flag is called “Sang Saka Merah Putih”. As stipulated in Article 35 of the Constitution of 1945, the flag consists of two colours, red on top and white on the bottom. The width is two-thirds of the length, which is, for example, two times three metres. The flag is flown in front of the presidential palace, public buildings and Indonesian foreign missions around the world.
Today, a copy of the first flag is used
The first flag was heroically transported between Japanese occupation forces on the day Indonesian independence was declared. Since that day, the flag is raised every year on National Day during a ceremony in front of the Presidential Palace in the capital, Jakarta. The historic first flag which is also called “Pendera Pusaka” was last used on August 17, 1968. Since then, a copy woven in pure Indonesian silk has been used, so as not to damage the national treasure that is the first flag of the independent nation of Indonesia.
The modern flag
Today’s modern Indonesian flag is based on a flag used by the Majapahit Empire in Java in the late 13th century. That flag had nine red and white stripes and is used today as a trade flag.
The flag was first raised with a simple ceremony
When independence was declared on August 17, 1945 in front of Soekarno’s house which was located at Pegangsaan Oost 56 in Jakarta the flag was raised for the first time. This is how Soekarno describes this special occasion in the independent country’s history through Cindy Adams’ book “Sukarno”, which was published in 1967:
Det var en svært enkel seremoni. Men mangelen på pomp og prakt ble kompensert av vårt håp. Jeg gikk mot en mikrofon som var stjålet fra en japansk radiostasjon og leste selvstendighetserklæringen kort og konsist. Min kone [Fatmawati] hadde laget et flagg av to tøystykker. Et hvitt og et rødt stykke tøy som var sydd sammen for hånd. Flaggstangen var også veldig primitiv og ikke veldig høy. Ingenting var planlagt så ingen visste hvem som skulle heise vårt hellige Merah-Poetih. Kaptein Latief var en av de få i uniform og stod nær til den primitive flaggstangen. Han tok derfor flagget og alle ventet anspent mens han festet flagget til det tynne frynsete tauet og lot det stige til værs … alene … stolt … for første gang på over tre og et halvt århundre. Det var ikke noe band tilstede og derfor ingen musikk. Etter at flagget var heist sang vi Indonesia Raya. Klokken var ti om morgenen og revolusjonen hadde begynt.
Photo credit: https://pixabay.com/photos/child-cute-young-2260257/
