THE prime minister just launched the Rukun Negara Golden Jubilee Celebrations organised under the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia and the National Unity Ministry.
The objective is to realise the tenets and spirit of the Rukun Negara, which was declared by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on Aug 31, 1970. During the launch, the prime minister expressed a hope that the people would live the five principles of Rukun Negara, which are as follows:
1. Belief in God
2. Loyalty to King and Country
3. Supremacy of the Constitution
4. Rule of Law
5. Courtesy and Morality
Belief in God is not merely a verbal assertion but should be a declaration of faith, a fervent belief in the goodness of the teachings of religion that must be reflected in one’s behavioural pattern.
But the actual situation does not reflect such zeal and in fact contravenes the tenets of the teachings as many disregard these tenets. It would have achieved some measure of success had those who profess the realisation of these ideals practised what they preach.
Loyalty to king and country has a larger connotation than a just verbal assertion of allegiance. The essence is the well-being of the people and country expressed through mutual respect and reciprocal deeds of goodwill and understanding. The king is a symbol of the majesty that provides solace and care for the people.
And loyalty to the king and country is not subservience to the powers that be, but a collaborative effort of patriotism.
Supremacy of the Constitution is the bastion of the nation for it regulates all matters of governance to safeguard the interests of the people and the institutions of check and balance.
This is effected through the elected representatives who take the oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution. However, we have seen quite a few instances where the elected representatives’ actions do not conform to the sacrosanct oath they swore upon.
Like the belief in God, the swearing of the oath is merely a formality to be installed in office. It is not a fervent declaration of an undertaking.
Thus, political expediency and sectarian interests may jeopardise the sanctity of the Constitution.
The prime minister stressed that no one is above the law for it is blind and indifferent to the imperatives of power and wealth. That has always been the mantra by the powers that be.
Usually the political landscape does weigh in on the scales of justice. For the judicial system does not exist in silo as it is a creature of the social and political imperatives of the day.
Nevertheless, for the most part, it is guided by the law of the country and the oath taken by the judges.
To further safeguard this rule of law, there must be an independent judiciary and the position of the attorney-general on whom rests the burden of prosecution or otherwise as well as the legal adviser to the government must be separated. And the attorney-general’s decisions when necessary must be subject to the scrutiny of a bi-partisan committee.
Courtesy and morality while it is imbued in the foregoing principles, must be made an integral part of the peoples’ behaviour pattern.
As it stands, the people and nation have yet to aspire to this noble and lofty ideal of the Rukun Negara which has remained distanced in their lives.
To ensure these ideals permeate the lives of the people, those governing and ruling the country must set the correct example as role models beyond those of the layman.
No amount of celebrations and rhetorical assertions would realise these ideals when those who preach do not practise them.
Mohamed Ghouse Nasuruddin
Centre for Policy Research and International Studies
Universiti Sains Malaysia
