The Malayan tiger is a ubiquitous national icon. A symbol of bravery, charm and regality, it is deservedly honored and depicted on the Malaysian Coat of Arms. Malaysia’s first national car, PROTON, adopted the abstract tiger-head as its emblem and badge-mark for its cars. The leading bank in Malaysia, Malayan Banking Berhad or Maybank, and the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) also have the tiger as their emblem and logo.
This shows the close nexus that Malaysia and Malaysians have with the tiger. Most Malaysians believe that the National Sports Council (NSC) adopted the tiger stripes as a pattern for the Malaysian squad jerseys for the same reason – to associate the athletes with a symbol of bravery, strength and grandeur.