A significant social issue in both nations is the perceived "Arabization" of Southeast Asian Islam. Critics in both Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta argue that traditional Malay/Indonesian culture is being eclipsed by Middle Eastern influences.
In the 1970s, Malay women in urban centers often went bareheaded. Photos from Universiti Malaya in the 1980s show a mix of short skirts and uncovered hair. The dakwah (religious revival) wave, partly inspired by the 1979 Iranian revolution and funded by Gulf states, changed this. By the 2000s, under Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad’s later years, the tudung moved from the pondok (traditional religious school) to the Prime Minister’s Department.