Technically, Atheism and Buddhism Are Unpatriotic in Malaysia

These are the five principles of Malaysia’s Rukunegara (National Principles):

• KEPERCAYAAN KEPADA TUHAN
• KESETIAAN KEPADA RAJA DAN NEGARA
• 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