Menstruation, typically seen as a gender marker of difference between women and men, has drawn significant attention from feminist scholars of the second wave feminist movement studying politics of the body and cultural basis of gender hierarchy in society. Despite the distinctive feature of menstruation in feminist debate, the subject has not been substantially studied in the Malaysian context. This thesis is an exploratory study of the cultural construction of menstruation, with special reference to beliefs, knowledge, perceptions, and practices of menstruation among urban Malaysian women. Data was collected from twenty-six in-depth interviews with female respondents of various ages supported by a survey of fifty female UKM students. They were all drawn from the three main ethnic communities resiging in the Klang Valley. Secondary data was also collected from library research of previous studies related to menstruation and the female body. Since the topic of this study regarded as private and intimate in nature, the selection of respondents for the in-depth interviews was done by a purposive snow-ball sampling method. This study suggests that menstruation in Malaysia is not perceived and experienced as a biological event but it is internalised with complex cultural meanings interwoven within certain social attitudes towards the female body. In general both social and individual perceptions of menstruation are found to be quite problematic. Perceptions are fraught with a negative attitude towards menstruation, particularly towards the menstrual blood. The menstruating body is regarded as 'dirty', 'polluting' and 'defilling'. In traditional societies, the female body is perceived to be both 'weak and vulnerable' and 'potentially powerful' as the menstrual blood can affect the process of food preparation, yield of crops, practice of black magic, etc. In contemporary Malaysian society some of these appear to be grounded on some traditions and religious beliefs. These menstrual taboos are also frequently associated, directly and indirectly, with negative and derogatory views of the female body. From a feminist perspective, the findings of this study also indicate that social attitudes and cultural constructions of the female body that menstruates are intertwined with an inherent patriarchal worldview which perceives the female body to be both useful and a threat. This dualistic and contradictory view of the female body supports a gender hierarchy that tends to devalue the female body as inherently impure due to the polluting and defiling nature of menstruation and the menstrual blood. This seems to be partly a result of the dominance of religious ideas, teachings, and its negative views on menstruation. It is also due to the lack of scientific and gender-neutral information about menstruation and a critical knowledge and understanding of cultural notions or beliefs and attitudes about it. Findings in this study suggest a clear need for greater knowledge and ready access of information on menstruation for the purpose of an empathetic sex education of young girls entering puberty. It is also beneficial for young boys as it will foster an empathetic and benign view of the female body.