The usage and exhibition of the national flag in Singapore are regulated by the rules set forth in the National Symbols Act.

Naval ships patrol a naval ensign similar to the state ensign, but in white with a red compass rose emblem. Non-military government vessels such as coast guard ships fly a state ensign of blue with the national flag in the canton, charged with an eight-pointed red and white compass rose in the lower fly. Merchant vessels and pleasure craft fly a civil ensign of red charged in white with a variant of the crescent and stars emblem in the centre. Vessels at sea do not use the national flag as an ensign. The elements of the flag denote a young nation on the ascendant, universal brotherhood and equality, and national ideals. The design is a horizontal bicolour of red above white, overlaid in the canton (upper-left quadrant) by a white crescent moon facing a pentagon of five small white five-pointed stars. It remained the national flag upon the country's independence from Malaysia on 9 August 1965. The flag of Singapore was adopted in 1959, the year Singapore became self-governing within the British Empire. A horizontal bicolour of red and white charged in white in the canton with a crescent facing the fly and a pentagon of five stars representing the nation's ideals.

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