Our Rukun Negara wants us to guarantee, stop there a second and let’s repeat the word, guarantee, a liberal approach to our multi-ethnic traditions. This is key to our unity – the guarantee of our liberalism.
– Siti Kasim, human rights lawyer
The Rukun Negara (National Principles) was invoked several times after GE15.
This was done as a reminder to over-emotional members of political parties to maintain peace and stability, especially during the few days of uncertainty before the formation of the unity government.
Now, most of the uncertainties about the formation of the unity government have been settled.
Two final hurdles remain to ensure a stable unity government. One will be the election of a competent speaker for the new Parliament on Dec 19.
The other hurdle is the motion for a vote of confidence promised by Malaysia’s newly minted Prime Minister Datuk Sri Anwar Ibrahim. With its 149 seats in the 222-seat Parliament, the unity government is expected to win this motion comfortably.
This motion of confidence will be the final seal to endorse the legitimacy of the unity government led by Anwar under the concept of Rukun Negara.
Rukun Negara plays a central role in the Malaysian declaration of national unity philosophy. These principles were drafted after the May 13 1969 race riots.
The King had to declare a state of national emergency. This resulted in the suspension of Parliament. Subsequently, a National Operations Council (NOC) was established as a caretaker government to temporarily govern Malaysia between 1969 and 1971.
One of the NOC’s functions was to develop a national ideology that reformed the nation’s outlook towards common values to achieve unity.
These National Principles were declared on August 31 1970. I remember receiving a pocket-sized blue booklet when I was in primary school with the principles of the Rukun Negara.
Moving forward, we need to enhance this national philosophy that promotes peace and stability. This ensures we have a sustainable framework that can withstand extreme challenges from various quarters.
However, what exactly does Rukun Negara state. On a Malaysian government website related to Rukun Negara, it states the following:
“The principles contained clearly the key to harmony and unity for the sake of the success and stability of the country. Whereby Our Country, Malaysia nurtures the ambitions of:
• Achieving and fostering better unity amongst the 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;
• 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 the King and Country
• Supremacy of the Constitution
• Rules of Law
• Courtesy and Morality”
These principles are noble aims and much needed in a multi-racial, multi-cultural and multi-religious nation like ours.
However, no matter how noble these principles are, at the end of the day, they are merely guidelines. Its application to our politicians and society is via awareness and an appeal to their better nature.
These principles in themselves are not applicable by law. Therefore, would it not be better if the Rukun Negara were made as a preamble in the Malaysian Constitution.
Including Rukun Negara in our Constitution will help our judges in their decision-making process when interpreting our laws.
Since the five principles in Rukun Negara promote unity, this would be an excellent addition to our Constitution.
The days one party getting a two-thirds majority in Parliament will most likely never happen again. It is also doubtful that any party can ever get even a simple majority in the near future.
In such circumstances, the need to have national unity at the forefront becomes of utmost importance. Destabilising forces will need to be kept at bay.
In an ideal world, this can come about through understanding and genuine acceptance of each other’s cultures and practices. In harsh reality, peace and stability have always been backed up by laws.
Therefore to further augment our laws, an enhanced role for the principles of Rukun Negara in our Constitution will go a long way towards providing a solid platform for Malaysia.
In practical terms, most Sarawakians already practise the principles of Rukun Negara. However, having Rukun Negara as part of our law can help solidify its practice for generations to come.
The views expressed here are those of the columnist and do not necessarily represent the views of New Sarawak Tribune.
