KUALA LUMPUR: It is no secret that the principles of Rukun Negara upheld by every citizen in Malaysia have been the most important pillars of peace, prosperity and development enjoyed by the country thus far.
No one can deny that.
Monday, Aug 31 this year, will mark the 50th anniversary of Rukun Negara, which was formulated after the May 13 incident in 1969.
To further promote people's unity, as well as to enhance their understanding and acceptance of the national philosophy, the government has decided to hold a Golden Jubilee celebration of the formulation of the principles of the Rukun Negara to foster unity among the various races in Malaysia.
Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is scheduled to officiate the launch of the celebration at Perdana Putra, Putrajaya, tomorrow.
The 50th anniversary celebration of the Rukun Negara is also in conjunction with this year's annual Merdeka Month to celebrate the National Day on Aug 31 and Malaysia Day on Sept 16.
The five principles of the Rukun Negara are Belief in God, Loyalty to the King and Country, Supremacy of the Constitution, The Rule of Law, and Courtesy and Morality.
They are the philosophies that were closely knitted to ensure that the people can accept and understand that the diversity of races, religion and beliefs that exist in the country is something special and unique that must always be preserved.
With the Covid-19 pandemic and the global economy showing slower growth, it is obvious that Malaysia, as well as other countries, is now facing tougher challenges than ever before.
This is where all Malaysians are required to remain steadfast and continue to uphold the principles embodied in the Rukun Negara so that the country can continue to be developed in the spirit of unity and harmony.
Although the principle of non-assimilation integration practised in Malaysia is said to be the reason why racial unity could not really be strengthened, it is also believed that if every Malaysian upholds the five principles of the Rukun Negara, disunity among the people is evitable.
This is evident in the fact that after the formulation of the Rukun Negara, Malaysia has been able to enjoy peace and every dispute will be quickly solved in the spirit of the national philosophy, according to Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) Institute of Ethnic Studies (KITA) founder-director Distinguished Professor Datuk Dr Shamsul Amri Baharuddin.
With that same spirit, the launch of the 50th anniversary of Rukun Negara, which is being co-organised by Ministry of Communications and Multimedia and Ministry of Unity, will be filled with various interesting programmes to encourage the people to observe each of the five principles.
At the event, the prime minister is also expected to launch the 50th Rukun Negara Anniversary logo, as well as special stamps to commemorate the celebration.
Nevertheless, the whole golden jubilee celebration of the Rukun Negara will not mean a thing if the people do not appreciate the philosophy enough to adopt it as a guidance and pillar of unity.
To be a true Malaysian, one will need to not just know the Rukun Negara by heart, but also to respect, understand and appreciate the values of each of its principles.- Bernama