Museum activities in Malaysia began in 1883 when the Perak Museum, Taiping was established by the British. In 1959, soon after independence, the government built the National Museum as a substitute to the Selangor Museum building that was damaged during World War II. The National Museum was managed by the Department of Museums and Antiquities, which name has changed to Department of Museums Malaysia on March 1st, 2006. The Department of Museums Malaysia (DMM) is also responsible for managing the other 21 museums in Malaysia. The objectives of the DMM is to preserve, conserve and disseminate knowledge about the country's historical, cultural and natural heritage; to create public awareness of the country's rich heritage history, its multiracial culture and its natural environment; to foster a harmonious society with high moral standards and to assist the efforts of the government to promote and develop the tourism industry. With the vision to become the leading museum institution in Asia, the DMM has both Malaysian and Southeast Asian collections.