Rukun Negara: The National Philosophy of the Federation of Malaysia

Malaysians should celebrate the 52nd anniversary of the Rukun Negara in August this year. — Bernama photo

ANY Malaysian born on Aug 31, 1970 is as old as the Rukun Negara.

What’s that?

It is the ‘National Philosophy of the Federation of Malaysia’. Some people refer to it as the ‘Malaysian Ideology’. Malaysian yuppies call it the ‘Malaysia’s Mission and Vision’.

Five basic principles or values are embedded in the Rukun Negara, which all citizens of the country are expected to observe, practise, and accept:

• Belief in God
• Loyalty to the King and Country
• Supremacy of the Constitution
• Rule of Law
• Mutual respect and good social behavior

These principles are intended to mould the character of Malaysians living in a happy, just and liberal country, God-fearing, law-abiding and respectful of others. This is a country where the national wealth should be equitably shared among the people; where the citizens, imbued with the patriotic spirit, are ready to die in defence of their values in the name of their sovereign monarch who rules with wisdom.

If people are possessed of all or most of these qualities, plus having modern science and technology as tools for physical, social and economic development, then you expect their nation to be sustainable for a long time.

Idealistic, but practicable

Obviously, these are practicable values intended to unify a nation like Malaysia, which has a population of many ethnic groups and cultures. Whether or not we will achieve the ‘Vision and Mission’, depends on how serious we pursue them on a daily basis until each value becomes a habitual norm.

After more than half a century, I am wondering if anyone is ever looking back to Rukun Negara for guidance in life. It is odd that we do not openly display our love for the national ideology.

Is every adult Malaysian able to recite the Rukun Negara? And does he or she actually observe and practise all of the stipulated values?

If yes, why is have we been reading about Malaysians, especially people in high places, ignoring the Rukun Negara left right and centre?

Do these people have different standards of values altogether?

Few of them have shown good example in terms of preserving a democratic way of life; indeed, they have undermined the democratic system of government itself. You know what the infamous ‘Sheraton Move’ was all about.

Just society

National prosperity has not been enjoyed equitably by all Malaysians – that’s obvious.

Given the amount of money derived from the extraction and sale of oil and gas from Sarawak, there should be no poverty at all in the state. Sadly, pockets of poverty are found in the rural areas as well as in the cities and towns. If anyone wants a conducted tour of the dirt-poor squatter settlements less than 5km from Kuching’s glittery high-rise buildings, I can arrange it.

Belief in God

Ideally, every Malaysian should belong to some established religion. However, there are Malaysians who do not believe in the God known to the Muslims and Christians.

That does not necessarily mean that those who believe in other faiths and the agnostics are not good Malaysians; not, if they believe in, and practise, the other four pillars of the Rukun Negara.

Have you not heard liberal religious teachers saying: “Your religion is your religion, my religion is my religion?”

No Malaysian should ostracise or demonise any other Malaysian in terms of religious beliefs. That would be against the spirit embodied in the fifth pillar of the Rukun Negara: ‘Mutual respect and good social behaviour’.

Loyalty to King and Country

Any Malaysian observing all the good laws of the country is being loyal to the King and the country, for the Monarch embodies all that is right in terms of this Rukun Negara.

Of course, the real test for loyalty to the King and country is the moment when the country needs to defend its sovereignty from foreign invaders or internal uprising.

Soldiers and volunteers go to war to repel the enemies of the country, risking their lives and limbs. While the rest of the people take the service of these defenders soldiers for granted, they have their roles in other fields, and these are equally important.

They should deserve appreciation by the nation. Have you not heard of a police officer who had been awarded a medal for gallantry by his King was not accorded burial at the Heroes’ Graves.

One wonders if there is something amiss in terms of observation of the second pillar of the Rukun Negara.

Supremacy of the Constitution

The Federal Constitution of Malaysia has been amended a number of times to meet the needs of the day. But it has also been amended to ensure one particular group’s grip on power. In the course of these 52 years, there have been abuses of power and graft among people walking in the corridors of power.

Although Article 153 of the Constitution provides a special position to the natives of Sabah and Sarawak, the so-called positive discrimination is not vigorously enforced in these states with reference to the indigenous peoples in respect of intakes to the civil services, scholarships and licences.

The Dayaks in Sibu wanting a special venue for retail trade have not been given freedom to do that (at the time of writing).

Article 39 of the Constitution of Sarawak has not been modified (mutatis mutandis) in line with Article 153 of the Federal Constitution in order to benefit the majority of the indigenous people of Sarawak.

Some politicians have blatantly undermined the supremacy of the Constitution by using statutory declarations, not general elections, to choose the prime minister and cabinet members – to ‘hxxx’ with the Rukun Negara and the democratic way of life!

Rule of Law

As this vital principle of the Rukun Negara has been ignored and misapplied by a number of very important people of Malaysia during the past 50 years, the ordinary mortals of the country can only hope that during the next 50 years, aspiring legislators in Malaysia would not ignore what the rule of law embodies:

“…Absolute predominance of regular law, so that the government has no arbitrary right over the citizen; the equal subjection of all including officials to the ordinary law administered by the ordinary courts; and the fact that the citizen’s personal freedom is formulated and protected by the ordinary law rather than by abstract constitutional declarations.”

No, I’m not making this up – you can find it in the Oxford Dictionary of Law, OUP, Sixth Edition (2006), edited by Elizabeth A. Martin and Jonathan Law.

I’m not even starting at length on the other principle of the Rukun Negara: ‘Mutual respect and good social behaviour’ – it would take up two or three broadsheet pages.

Maybe another day.

So be good Malaysians, observe the Rukun Negara a bit better from today on!

* Comments can reach the writer via columnists@theborneopost.com.

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