WHEREBY our country, Malaysia, nurtures the ambitions of:
– Achieving and fostering better unity within society;
– Preserving a democratic way of life;
– Creating a just society where the prosperity of the country can be enjoyed together in a fair and equitable manner;
– Ensuring a liberal approach towards the rich and varied cultural traditions; and,
– Building a progressive society that will make use of science and modern technology.
Now, therefore, we, the people of Malaysia, pledge to concentrate our energy and efforts to achieve these ambitions based on the following principles:
– Belief in God;
– Loyalty to king and country;
– Supremacy of the constitution;
– Rule of law; and,
– Courtesy and morality.
The Rukun Negara was instituted by royal proclamation on Merdeka Day in 1970, declaring the nation’s objectives, values and key principles to guide Malaysians. It is remarkable in that it captures, in simple language, the ideals and inclusive spirit of the federal constitution.
The document was a balm that helped sooth Malaysians traumatised by the riots, loss of life and destruction of property that followed the 1969 general election.
Citizens are delighted that there has been a renewed dedication to the Rukun Negara on the 50th anniversary of its proclamation.
Yes, the national philosophy appears on the back cover of students’ exercise books and is the focus of Rukun Negara clubs in schools. Yes, it is recited every Merdeka Day.
Sadly, however, its meaning seems to have faded in the decades following its proclamation, and it has not always governed our leaders’ words and deeds. For the politicians who play the sectarian card, the Rukun Negara is nothing but an inconvenience.
Our reaffirmation of its principles must not be empty symbolism, and our recitation, not mere ritual. We need to use it as a compass for transitional justice – as how it was meant to be. We need to care for the vulnerable and be committed to national unity.
We know full well that our unity today is strained. There are those who have mobilised along communal lines and deliberately sown discord. Social media, a great facilitator of free speech, is inundated daily with abusive and divisive comments.
Followers grow an appetite for what they are fed by their leaders and cybertroopers deployed to spew venom. Given this, the appeal for individual responsibility is, of itself, ineffective.
Enforcement agencies have to act against those stoking strife and demand greater accountability from social media companies. Most importantly, there must be firm and rational responses from political, religious and community leaders.
We are committed to the equitable sharing of the nation’s wealth and the eradication of poverty. In the years since the Rukun Negara’s declaration, income inequality has increased within each community, in both urban and rural areas.
And, poverty is a persistent woe. Even as recently as last year, more than 400,000 households earned less than the mean poverty line income of RM2,208, according to the Household Income and Basic Amenities Survey Report. And yet, our minimum wage remains RM1,200 in major cities and RM1,100 elsewhere. The Covid-19 pandemic has hit us hard, and harder still the underprivileged.
The Rukun Negara was proclaimed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong at a time when Parliament was suspended. The national legislature has not formally signed off on it, but did consider, post-National Operations Council, approving the Second Malaysia Plan (1971-1975), which states that the document “represents a national consensus and commitment to the task of creating a united, socially just, economically equitable and progressive Malaysian nation”.
The Rukun Negara must be included in our economic and social policy planning, and made a criterion in our regulatory impact assessment.
As part of the abovesaid reaffirmation, it would be fitting to have the Parliament speaker lead MPs and senators in reciting the national philosophy after each royal address. – The Vibes, September 19, 2020
Prof Emeritus Datuk Dr Sothi Rachagan is a former dean of the Universiti Malaya Law Faculty, vice-chancellor of Perdana University and Nilai University, and president of the International Association of Consumer Law. He serves on the boards of numerous international consumer protection bodies.
