December 1, 1992 marked a new era in the promotion of Occupational Safety and Health in Malaysia. On this day the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) was launched, after careful preparation and commitment from all parties to improve the safety and health of workers at the workplace in Malaysia. In the words of the Minister of Human Resources, Malaysia, NIOSH would be a "critical catalyst" in the promotion of occupational safety and health that would also serve as the "backbone" to create a "self-regulating occupational safety and health culture" in Malaysia.?