Abstract: “The harmonious multicultural landscape in Malaysia is rooted in a plural society during the colonial rule. It was a time when the Malays, Chinese and Indians – met and lived together, sharing the same space yet remain culturally unique and apart. This research traces the transformation of pluralistic society into one with a multicultural identity as portrayed in Lat’s cartoons, from his earlier works to the more recent ones, captured the progression of Malaysia’s ethno-cultural and social dynamics from a plural society during its early independence, to the multi-ethnic, multicultural Malaysia of today. Three series of Lat’s cartoon: Kampung Boy, Town Boy and The Early Series are chosen as the research corpus. Two theories: Reception Theory and Reader Response Theory formed the basis for the analysis and discussion of the corpus. Findings reveal that Lat’s cartoon had successfully traced the transformation of the cultural landscape in Malaysia.”

Keywords: Multiculturalism, reception theory, reader response theory, Malaysian’s cartoons, nation building