28/08/2026
Food, rangoli and recycling come together in giant Jalur Gemilang
Participants gathered at the Temple of Fine Arts, Penang to create the Jalur Gemilang using vegetables, fruits and recycled egg cartons. Photo source: Temple of Fine Arts, Penang
T.C. Khor
The Sun Thursday, 27 Aug 2026.
Chillies, radishes and bananas bring giant eco-friendly Jalur Gemilang to life
GEORGE TOWN: Using fresh produce and recycled materials, 15 people from all walks of life and ages gathered recently to create a giant Jalur Gemilang at the Temple of Fine Arts in Babington Avenue on Monday.
The special national flag was created as part of the 69th Merdeka celebrations by the participants, aged between eight and 79.
“The concept was inspired by Malaysians’ universal love for food combined with a commitment to sustainability and zero-waste living,” Datuk P. Murugiah, committee member of the Temple of Fine Arts (TFA), told theSun.
Themed around culinary culture, the activity saw participants sit together on the floor to construct the flag using everyday kitchen ingredients instead of single-use plastic decorations.
“Bright red chillies and white radishes were arranged to form the stripes, while yellow baby corn and bananas made up the star and crescent.
“Upcycled blue egg cartons completed the background, giving the flag an eco-friendly look, while the arrangement of the produce on the floor drew on Indian rangoli traditions,” ?he said.�Murugiah added that the participants consisted of sitar students, yoga enthusiasts, friends and members of the local community.
“They worked side by side on the artwork, dressed in traditional attire ranging from Malay kebaya with kain songket to a Bidayuh outfit from Sarawak.
“Their outfits naturally sparked warm conversations. People laughed and traded stories about their heritage and bonded,” ?said Murugiah.
He also said the activity brought several generations and people from diverse backgrounds together through creative expression and community spirit.
Once the Jalur Gemilang was completed and photographs taken, the fresh fruits and vegetables were packed into paper bags for participants to take home for consumption.
“By blending Indian rangoli traditions, diverse cultural attire and a zero-waste mindset, TFA showed that celebrating Merdeka doesn’t have to be complicated. Sometimes, all it takes is sitting together on the floor with a shared goal and a lot of heart,” said Murugiah.
He added that the total cost to create the flag was sponsored by TFA committee members.
The four colours of the Jalur Gemilang each carry meaning – blue represents the unity of the people, red signifies courage and readiness to face challenges for the nation, white symbolises purity and yellow, the ?royal colour, represents the sovereignty of ?the Rulers.
The crescent represents Islam, the country’s official religion, while the 14-point star and 14 stripes represent the equal status of the 13 member states and the federal government within the federation.
This year’s National Day theme is “Malaysia Madani: Kesejahteraan Dinikmati.”
TFA is a non-profit cultural organisation dedicated to the promotion of arts and culture, with 14 centres in seven countries.
It was founded in 1981 by Swami Shantanand Saraswathi, a Hindu monk from Rishikesh, India.
The Penang branch opened in the 1980s and offers classes in Indian classical dance, Carnatic music, sitar, yoga and Balavihar, among others.
