DEWAN BAHASA DAN PUSAKA
Taman Duta
SPECIAL PROJECTS
PROJECT SYNOPSIS
Dewan Bahasa dan Pusaka was born in the era of us fighting for independence, on the 22nd of June, 1956 with the name of Balai Pustaka, and was renamed to Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka as a result of the Kongres Bahasa dan Persuratan Melayu III held in Johor and Singapore. Throughout the years, DBP fought for the Malay Language, from having 20 officers operating from Johor to being forced to operate a hospital ward in Kuala Lumpur, to having the DBP building as their headquarters. This national monument holds the history and development of the Malay Language in its architecture, especially in the famous mural painting made out of mosaic tiles on the side of the building, a winning piece by Ismail Mustam titled “The Malayan Way of Life and the National Language” which perfectly expressed the Malayan spirit fighting for the Malay Language at the time.
BUILDING TIMELINE
1950
1960
Backstory
22 June
1956
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Established as Balai Pustaka in Johor Bahru (4)
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The aim of Dewan Bahasa & Pustaka is to to spread usage and standardisation of the Malay language as the Malaysian language.
16th-21st September
1956
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Renamed to Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka as a result of the Kongres Bahasa dan Persuratan Melayu III held in Johor and Singapore. (1)
1957
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Moved and situated in a hospital ward in Jalan Young now known as (Jalan Cenderasari) (1)
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DBP moved to the capital of Kuala Lumpur but was forced to locate themselves in a hospital ward on Jalan Young as the building wasn’t ready.
PRE-MERDEKA
ERA
1990
Construction
View of mural facade.
1961
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Mural painted
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made out of 10x10mm mosaic tiles (2)
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mural painted by Ismail Mustam, a student at the time.
4 May
1961
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Construction start, site located right beside Jalan Hang Tuah
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1.2 million budget on one-acre land (2)
MERDEKA ERA
1962
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Construction completion (2)
31 January 1962
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Building officiated by Yang diPertuan Agong - Tuanku Syed Putra (2)
View of Menara Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka.
1997
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Extension and construction of Menara Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka start (2)
2002
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Extension and construction of Menara Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka completion and serves as office tower
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The old building is now known as Wisma DBP (2)
12 November
2009
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Declared a heritage site under National Heritage Act 2005 (2)
February
2014
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Building restoration to restore and conserve the historical features and value of the building (3)
October 2016
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Restoration completion (3)
2017
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Mural restoration (4)
Events
1961
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Ismail Mustam won the grand prize for the mural design competition
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Title “The Malayan Way of Life and the National Language (1)
POST-MERDEKA
ERA
2000
2010
OTHER RESOURCES
Related Link /
Website
Official Website
TBC