These are the five principles of Malaysia’s Rukunegara (National Principles):
-
KEPERCAYAAN KEPADA TUHAN
-
KESETIAAN KEPADA RAJA DAN NEGARA
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KELUHURAN PERLEMBAGAAN
-
KEDAULATAN UNDANG-UNDANG
-
KESOPANAN DAN KESUSILAAN
With translation into English:
- BELIEF IN GOD
- LOYALTY TO KING AND COUNTRY
- THE SUPREMACY OF THE CONSTITUTION
- THE RULE OF LAW
- COURTESY AND MORALITY
It was introduced after the May 13 1969 Incident to promote national unity. Particularly among schoolchildren who are forced to recite it at assemblies.
Unfortunately, it immediately makes anti-patriots out of some Malaysians with its first principle:
-
KEPERCAYAAN KEPADA TUHAN / BELIEF IN GOD
Thus, tiny minority Malaysian atheists who do not believe that any gods exist are excluded from shows of Malaysian patriotism.
As are the 19.2% of Malaysians who are Buddhists and do not believe in a god .
And I’m not sure where the Constitution stands on agnostics who don’t have enough knowledge to decide either way.
Didn’t anyone notice this in the 38 years since the Rukunegara was instituted?
Or was it intentionally designed to subtly paint non-theists as less than full patriots?
(But anyway, “Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all other countries because you were born in it.” – George Bernard Shaw)
Tags: religion in Malaysia, Rukunegara
April 2, 08 at 1:40 pm
Oh dear, does this mean KTemoc is in trouble?
April 2, 08 at 1:43 pm
April 2, 08 at 2:11 pm
I surely would like to hear from KTemoc first on this before I give my 2 cents.
The fact is I’ve noticed this potential point of contention from the very beginning.
April 2, 08 at 3:00 pm
Haha Run Buddy Run :Chicken Little”
http://www.tv.com/run-buddy-run/steam-bath-andamp-chicken-little/episode/216135/summary.html
April 2, 08 at 3:34 pm
Interesting find.
April 2, 08 at 5:25 pm
Btw: The “Save Sufiah Programme” is headed by Deputy Minister in the PM’s Department Mashitah Ibrahim who will come up with strategies to assist Sufiah as soon as possible.
http://nursamad.blogspot.com/2008/04/saving-sufiah.html
This is what a high ranking Minister in the Govt. is supposed to do? I mean if the idjut can`t find some work, the idjut can come clean the drains in my area.
The reader`s comment in that link is good – succint.
April 2, 08 at 5:35 pm
Oh, and the Hindus too are verbotten.
April 2, 08 at 10:31 pm
Rukunegara Says Malaysian Atheists & Buddhists Are Unpatriotic
Scott, over at BUUUUURRRRNING HOT, notes the five principles of Malaysia’s Rukunegara (National Principles) hold that Atheists, Agnostics and Buddhists are unpatriaotic:
They include (in english):
BELIEF IN GOD
LOYALTY TO KING AND COUNTRY
THE SUPRE…
April 3, 08 at 8:41 pm
save sufiah??????
why not save me???
April 4, 08 at 12:57 pm
In america also they have “in god we trust” so it’s not just malaysia ok. Not that they treat the atheist any better in the US. Musn’t think that bad abt your country.
April 4, 08 at 1:16 pm
“Musn’t think that bad abt your country”
Sigh, another one of those with poor comprehension.
April 9, 08 at 2:15 pm
Hello, sorry I haven’t stopped over in such a long time. Am busy filming in Indonesia right now. Hot like hell Today, but was horribly raining all day yesterday. And that was when I pulled out my trusty 8inch tiny laptop to pen “Religion Issues”. Hope you guys liked it. I’m really disgusted that many tend to fall into category 4, and are so stubborn when “others” talk to them. I always get this strong sense of “underlying hate” and animosity when a Category 4 person meets any other Cateogry.
Scott, You and Sean Ang (Citizen Think Tank) would make good buddies. We were discussing this Prejudiced Rukunegara circa 3-4 months ago, and how it marginalizes. And here we are all trying hard to unify, while there are many factors which seek to divide. That was one of the main reasons why I wrote “Origins of the Malays” aka “Malays are Not a Race”, if you still remember.
Anyway, cheers and shoot Sean an e-mail. He’d be happy to discuss this with you in more detail.
Ta-Ta
April 10, 08 at 5:57 am
Next up- why being prodemocracy is treasonous.
April 10, 08 at 8:21 am
Actually, pro-democracy as treason already came up a few months ago:
2007 Bersih Rally – [Zainuddin Maidin's] logical justification: the rally is illegal because there are elections, heavy-handed methods used because it’s illegal.
April 10, 08 at 11:22 am
ChristopherSisk.com : “Atheists, Agnostics and Buddhists are unpatriaotic”
Conclusion, you can tell that the charter was mostly formulated by muslims and the “others” aren’t supposed to be sensitive over the wordings. Secondly the “other” don’t have morality at par or perhaps even better. It shows the voicelessness of any nons involved in the formulation of the RN. Also the nonsense implication of the expediency involved(in a hurry, iow). It was quickly endorsed by the asshat lapdog parties.
Even so, it’s so much sloganising just like the “Leadership By Example” thingy and the”Zero Inflation” one. Dead before puberty.
April 10, 08 at 11:30 am
Saudi cleric: ‘Freedom of speech might lead to freedom of belief’
In this television clip from al-Majd (Saudi) television, leading Saudi cleric Muhammad Al-Munajid warns that freedom of speech cannot be allowed, because it might lead to freedom of belief.
http://tmq2.wordpress.com/2008/04/08/video-saudi-cleric-freedom-of-speech-might-lead-to-freedom-of-belief/
June 17, 08 at 5:57 pm
We’ll said. But I do give my time towards a cause… “A Better Malaysia”. What is better is of course subjective at times. But certain ideals are at the heart of the matter as well.
Cheers!
Support my Malaysian Bloggers For Cheaper Beer & Cigarettes. More info at my blog.
June 18, 08 at 9:03 pm
Hi,
It is most unfortunate that Atheists are looked down upon in Malaysia. I do not know if Buddhists are persecuted or not. There has been nothing reported in the newspapers.
Freedom to have your own opinions, freedom of speech and freedom to practice the religious faith of your choosing are enshrined in the constitutions of a lot of countries including India. Although as I said earlier there is no news to suggest that Buddhists are being ill treated.
What this amounts to I suppose is a sort of brainwashing of the children and youth of the country of Malaysia. Bertrand Russell would have had a fit. Please read his book – Why I am not a Christian. It is excellent.
regards
Nikhil
October 17, 08 at 4:40 pm
Actually the Rukun Negara is more to that. Please read what the Rukun Negara was really designed for. The 5 points which we are familiar is just a summary, and definitely not the principles.
http://yoonkit.blogspot.com/2008/09/rukun-negara-have-you-read-it-really.html
So if you follow the original principles of Rukun Negara, atheists and buddhists ARE not sidelined, and the call that they are unpatriotic is inaccurate.
yk.
May 15, 09 at 7:53 pm
Hi I am an atheist. Oh I know I sound unpatriotic to you. But it doesn’t matter and I am really proud to be the one. We are just as nice as any nice religious person who walks in the street. You guys are atheists to other gods except to that you particularly hold on to. We atheists just go one god further.
May 17, 09 at 4:28 pm
By the way, to Christians like the blogger who created this blog isn’t really concerned about athiests or buddhists not being patriotic. He’s more interested in all of us (including the muslims, the hindus, the taoist and other pious people with different beliefs) going to hell as to them we have all violated the 1st of the 10 commandments that was believed (with no evidence) to be written on rocks by god in the middle of the desert where god (if he exists or ever existed) commanded Moses to pioneer Isrealites into.
May 23, 09 at 10:48 am
Nice conjecture and insinuation, but my main aim in posting this was to mock the foibles of certain government policies.
But yes, Christians are concerned about people going to hell – we are trying to prevent that from happening. And look what thanks we get.
June 12, 09 at 9:49 am
Ah I see. Thanks for raising the question up. By the way even if we can escape the Christian hell, we are apt to going to the Islamic or the Jewish hells. You don’t have to worry about us. We don’t mind going to anyone if they really exist.
June 12, 09 at 9:52 am
we are apt to go* (sorry for the typo)