LETTER | Reviving Rukun Negara

LETTER | “…to instil a spirit of love for the country among civil servants, Negaraku and the Rukun Negara pledge should be sung and recited in all ministries and government agencies at least once every week…”

The extract above is from a recent email circulated to all government agencies and ministries. Prompt, admirable action and endeavour. Kudos to the government of the day for the commendable step towards fostering national unity by emphasising the importance of Rukun Negara.

The directive above is akin to administering vaccines against a societal ailment that afflicts our society.

The Rukun Negara, Malaysia’s national philosophy, was instituted by royal proclamation on Aug 31, 1970, after the May 13, 1969 incident, to promote peace and harmony. For five decades, we have observed the guiding principles of Rukun Negara in letter and spirit, but lately, to our dismay, it seems to have been neglected and shelved.

I have witnessed firsthand the alarming gap in knowledge about Rukun Negara among recent graduates. During interviews for a position at my current workplace, I was appalled to discover that many of these young individuals were unaware of the origins and significance of Rukun Negara.

They expressed misguided views. Some even attributed Rukun Negara’s formation to historical tensions with Indonesia - a misrepresentation that underscores a troubling lack of awareness about our own national identity.

I was stunned. Shocked. Utterly amazed. This ignorance raises pressing questions: Are these crucial lessons covered in our history and moral education classes? Why are the tenets of Rukun Negara not consistently emphasised by our educators? Is it a result of the pervasive “tak apa lah” (who cares) mentality that has crept into Malaysian society?

Don’t just recite it

The obstacles present in our educational system are clear, and having spent 36 years teaching, I have personally seen the challenges that our education system is dealing with.

Rote learning is highly valued in educational institutions and has been the mainstay of our approach. However, mere memorisation of Rukun Negara alone does not cultivate a genuine love and patriotism for the nation.

It is imperative that we acknowledge these shortcomings and actively seek to revamp our educational methods to foster a truly united and progressive Malaysia.

We must adopt a more thoughtful and creative approach to instil patriotism in our youth. Schools serve as fertile ground for nurturing a united Malaysian identity, making them the ideal environment to plant the seeds of national unity.

Isn’t this ultimately what we all desire - a unified Malaysian nation?

Cultivating awareness of shared history

Recent attempts by some groups to sow discord and chaos through inflammatory language and hatred pose a significant threat to our social fabric.

Opportunists are increasingly able to leverage social media and other platforms to spread divisive rhetoric that foments hostility among Malaysians.

A statement from UPM lecturer Murni Wan Mohd Nor lends support to this: “The practice of using stereotypical language, sharing provocative and offensive pictures, as well as resorting to name-calling that degrades the dignity and dehumanises people has weakened multi-racial and multi-religious relations. As a result, it has aggravated pre-existing tensions among people, which erupts via hate speech and sometimes - acts of violence and extremism.”

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) removed a staggering 1,454 hateful/offensive posts related to the three major issues of race, religion, and royalty (3R) from January to March 2024.

Given these concerning trends, all Malaysians must remain vigilant against opportunists who incite division and hatred among Malaysians, especially the youth.

While the nation may appear peaceful on the surface, underlying tensions persist, necessitating a deeper awareness of our shared history and the sacrifices made by our ancestors. Cultivating this awareness is a crucial and timely endeavour, serving as a “bulletproof vest” to ensure peace and harmony in Malaysia.

Malaysia is a cauldron of diversity. A nation that thrives when its myriad cultures coexist harmoniously, bound and braided by the five principles of Rukun Negara: Belief in God, loyalty to the king and country, the upholding of the Constitution, the rule of law, and good behaviour and morality. We are unique pieces of puzzles strongly glued together by the Rukun Negara.

A beacon of hope

Implementing Rukun Negara’s values within Malaysia’s vision and globalisation is pivotal for instilling a strong national identity and moral fibre in the younger generation.

The government’s initiative to require the recitation of the Rukun Negara in formal assemblies demonstrates its commitment to instilling these values in all citizens.

Nevertheless, we cannot maintain harmony and peace by only chanting and memorising the Rukun Negara. The cornerstone to maintaining peace and harmony in this nation is comprehending the context in which these five principles were developed.

Malaysia’s Rukun Negara, as a guiding national ideal, acts as a beacon of hope, imparting moral precepts and promoting a sense of inclusivity among Malaysians, thus creating a coat of armour against any attempts to break this country. I beseech the Madani government to act promptly to uphold these ideals.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.