Rukunegara
The Rukunegara or sometimes Rukun Negara (Malay for "National Principles") is the Malaysian declaration of national philosophy 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 sought ways to foster unity among Malaysians.
One of the methods used to encourage unity is the Rukunegara.
The word Rukunegara can refer to the whole declaration, the words after the preamble (beginning Maka kami...) or the five principles alone.
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 compulsory at official functions. The announcement was made a few months after the government made singing of the national anthem as compulsory at every official function.
RUKUN NEGARA
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 yang berikut :
KEPERCAYAAN KEPADA TUHAN
KESETIAAN KEPADA RAJA DAN NEGARA
KELUHURAN PERLEMBAGAAN
KEDAULATAN UNDANG-UNDANG
KESOPANAN DAN KESUSILAAN
RUKUN NEGARA in English
Our nation, Malaysia, is being dedicated to:
Achieving a greater unity of all her people,
Maintaining a democratic way of life,
Creating a just society in which the wealth of the nation shall be equitably shared,
Ensuring a liberal approach to her rich and diverse cultural tradition,
and building a progressive society which shall be oriented to modern science and technology.
We, the people of Malaysia, pledge our united efforts to attain these ends, guided by these principles:
BELIEF IN GOD
LOYALTY TO KING AND COUNTRY
UPHOLDING THE CONSTITUTION
RULE OF THE LAW, and
GOOD BEHAVIOUR AND MORALITY
TM