National Culture Policy


The National Culture Policy introduced in 1970 in Malaysia, emphasized an assimilation of the non-Malays into the Malay ethnic group. However, during the 1990s Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad rejected this approach, with his Bangsa Malaysia policy emphasising a Malaysian instead of Malay identity for the state.
Malaysian National Culture Policy is defined in the "1971 National Culture Policy". It defines 3 principles as guidelines for 'national culture':
  1. The National Culture must be based on the indigenous culture
  2. Suitable elements from the other cultures may be accepted as part of the national culture
  3. Islam is an important component in the moulding of the National Culture.
The main objectives of this policy was to: