Thee various colors are the colors of the Federation of Malaysia and indicate that the State is part of the Federation. The five keris represent the five famous warriors of old Melaka. The star and crescent stand for Islam, the religion of the State. The Melaka tree is the tree from which the State derives its name. The two mouse-deer supporting the shield serve to recall the incident involving the mouse-deer which led the first ruler of Melaka to choose the site and found the city. The State motto reads: "Unity is Strength".