Juita Jalaluddin

Title of Dissertation: Designing The Nation: Identity, Design and Nation Branding in Malaysia 1990-2012

In recent years, the re-design of nations and their identities has taken on a more pressing economic rather than evolutionary stance. What people see in a country’s tangible forms tends to shape enduring or new perceptions of the identity of a nation, its reputation and eventually its distinctiveness as a ‘brand'.

This research explores the importance of design and identity in the building of a nation brand. It examines how Malaysia, as a developing country, negotiated its national image during its economic boom years in the 1990s. It traces how the design of built forms – the most visible type of material evidence in the country – has been shaped by various factors such as colonial administration, affluent immigrants, and the dominant Malay political party, following the country’s independence from British rule in 1957. It looks at how Malaysia, being multicultural and with a complex socio-political history, has attempted to define and articulate a common identity. This has influenced both the conservation of its heritage and the design of its future. The ongoing inability to resolve identity issues among multi-ethnic communities has led to pressing questions as to how Malaysia hopes to achieve distinctiveness in an increasingly competitive and globalised world.