Rukunegara or National Principles

Many of the parents saw the Rukunegara at the back cover of our kids exercise books and yet do not "recognise" it at all. The phrases sound so hollow and empty and we thought it was there just for the sake of not leaving the back cover looks empty, well it is time to look at it from the historical prospective. Even the government of the day forgot the third principle of the Rukunagara, the supremacy of the Parliament, as it has turned the Parliament into the rubber stamp of the BN government.

We seldom see important issues being fully discussed in the Parliament, the most recent example was on the 27th August 2007 when the Speaker of the lower house turned down the motion of the opposition leader, Mr. Lim Kit Siang to debate the government's RM 4.6 billion bail-out of the Port Klang Free Zone.

David Wong
DAP Sarawak publicity secretary
29-08-2007

Below is from www.referenceencyclopedia.com for your reading pleasure.

The Rukunegara or sometimes Rukun Negara (Malay for "National Principles") is a philosophy and national ideology — the de facto Malaysian pledge of allegiance — was instituted by royal proclamation on Merdeka Day, 1970, in reaction to a serious race riot known as the May 13 Incident which occurred in 1969. The incident proved at that time that Malaysian racial balance and stability was fragile at best. Immediately thereafter, the Malaysian government immediate sought ways to foster unity among Malaysians. One of the methods used to encourage unity is the Rukunegara. The Rukunegara was inspired in part by the Indonesian Pancasila, and like the Pancasila, is based on five guiding principles.

The word Rukunegara can refer to the whole declaration, the words after the preamble (beginning Maka kami...) or the five principles alone.

Malay text
BAHAWASANYA NEGARA KITA MALAYSIA mendukung cita-cita hendak :

mencapai perpaduan yang lebih erat di kalangan seluruh masyarakatnya ;
memelihara satu cara hidup demokratik ;
mencipta satu masyarakat adil di mana kemakmuran Negara akan dapat dinikmati bersama secara adil dan saksama ;
menjamin satu cara liberal terhadap tradisi-tradisi kebudayaannya yang kaya dan berbagai corak ; dan
membina satu masyarakat progresif yang akan menggunakan sains dan teknologi moden.
MAKA KAMI, rakyat Malaysia, berikrar akan menumpukan seluruh tenaga dan usaha kami untuk mencapai cita-cita tersebut berdasarkan atas prinsip-prinsip berikut :

KEPERCAYAAN KEPADA TUHAN
KESETIAAN KEPADA RAJA DAN NEGARA
KELUHURAN PERLEMBAGAAN
KEDAULATAN UNDANG-UNDANG
KESOPANAN DAN KESUSILAAN

Literal translation
WHEREAS OUR COUNTRY MALAYSIA nurtures the ambitions of:

achieving a more perfect unity amongst the whole of her 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;
guaranteeing a liberal approach towards her 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 the whole of our energy and efforts to achieve these ambitions based on the following principles:

BELIEF IN GOD
LOYALTY TO KING AND COUNTRY
THE SUPREMACY OF THE CONSTITUTION
THE RULE OF LAW
COURTESY AND MORALITY

Alternative English version
Our nation, Malaysia, being dedicated :

to achieving a greater unity of all her peoples;
to maintaining a democratic way of life;
to creating a just society in which the wealth of the nation shall be equitably shared;
to ensuring a liberal approach to her rich and diverse cultural traditions;
to building a progressive society which shall be oriented to modern science and technology;
We, her peoples, pledge our united efforts to attain these ends guided by these principles:

BELIEVE IN GOD
LOYALTY TO KING AND COUNTRY
UPHOLDING THE CONSTITUTION
RULE OF LAW
GOOD BEHAVIOUR AND MORALITY

Recitation
It is a norm for primary and secondary public schools in Malaysia to recite the pledge weekly during a compulsory assembly. Pledge reading follows immediately after the singing of the Malaysian national anthem, Negaraku. Of some interest, the Rukun Negara could usually be found behind the cover of every exercise book that is typically used by primary and secondary Malaysian public school students. This is primarily a move recognised to have been formulated to emulate the similar tactic introduced by the Singapore government immediately after her departure from the Malaysian Federation in 1965.

Recently on December 8, 2005, the Malaysian government has made reading of the pledge as a must at every official function. The announcement was made a few months after the government made singing of the national anthem as compulsory at every official function. (Bernama)