people regardless of race and creed. Once unity among the population had been attained, and democratisation of
education established, the next function of reform was to meet the demands of a newly independent country. As the
nation progressed scientifically and technologically, there came a need to expand the vocational and technical
education of the children. A second turning point in the educational system occurred in the 80s through the inception
of the National Philosophy of Education, which stressed the importance of well-balanced citizens capable of
contributing to the betterment of the country. New educational reform followed, the most significant of which was
the integration of moral values across the curriculum that symbolised the re-emergence of Islamic influence across
the curriculum. In 1993, five years after the implementation of the National Philosophy of Education, the third
turning point occurred when the former Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad introduced his Vision 2020
plan which was designed to lead Malaysia to be a fully developed nation by the year 2020. The drive to be
innovative and forward looking and to be a contributor to scientific and technological advancement led to a
curriculum which emphasized the shift towards the development of human capital equipped with critical and
creative thinking capacities.