Of Rukunegara and Negaraku…

I found this article somewhere over the net, and it practically summed up what I wanted to say about our forever so adorable sleepyhead PM, which is “The pot is calling the kettle black”.

Rakyat never violated the Rukunegara  by Edmond R
In his latest salvo against dissenting Malaysians, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi labeled the deliberate attempts to create negative perceptions of uneasiness and distrust in the people via SMS and internet as treachery.

He claimed that these people have blemished the principles of the Rukunegara. Since primary school we were taught about the concept of Rukunegara and its five guiding principles towards the formation of a united and harmonious Malaysia.

But one question that puzzles me until today is that – if the Rukunegara is so important, why is it relegated to the back cover of our exercise books when instead it should have been printed in the front page?

Such is the mystery that surrounds our National Ideology that it has become as mysterious as the disappearance of our famous bipolar private investigator P Balasubramaniam. But that’s beside the point of this letter.

The reason we are here today is to analyse our prime minister’s accusation that the views and writings in our blogs are treacherous. This is a serious allegation indeed and one which I am sure the majority of us bloggers find disdainful. If the prime minister believes that exposing the truth behind the misdeeds of the ruling government is treason, then let the real truth be told!

Let us cherish our school days once again as we raise our right hand and recite the Rukunegara. This time, we shall compare who are the people who have blemished these sacred vows for the past fifty years – the rakyat or the government?

Belief in God – Kepercayaan kepada Tuhan

Malaysians are generally very religious people and religious festivals are celebrated with zest amongst the people. Religious harmony does exist at this level of society and celebrations are usually inclusive and participated by everyone regardless of their beliefs.

People who truly believe in God are respectful of other religions and they rejoice in their neighbour’s celebration of spirituality. People who truly believe in God do not go around knocking down temples and stop the construction of religious symbols.

People who truly believe in God do not need to create their own brand of their religion and sell it to the Malaysian public as part of their political gimmicks.

Loyalty to King and country – Kesetiaan kepada Raja dan Negara

The people have always been loyal to the King and country. In fact during the recent political turbulence, the people have been turning to His Majesty The Yang Di Pertuan Agong and Their Majesties the Sultans for inspiration and reassurance. The stability and neutrality of this apolitical institution is important towards the protection of the people’s rights.

On the other hand, there were disagreements between the federal government and the palace in two states concerning the appointment of the chief ministers following the March 2008 general election. And going back two decades ago, the government voted to change the constitution in order to restrict the power of the monarchy.

Upholding the constitution – Keluhuran Perlembagaan

Malaysians regard the country’s constitution as the highest document that protects our rights. Everyone considers the constitution as sacred and should be upheld at all times.

Unfortunately, our constitution has undergone so many changes since Merdeka that it is now barely recognisable. The people didn’t do that. It was the government who altered it throughout the years to facilitate their strangle hold on power.

Sovereignty of the law – Kedaulatan Undang-undang

The political tsunami that hit the ruling party created so much instability amongst the parties in the ruling coalition that the government is on the brink of chaos.

On the other hand, we, the law-abiding citizens of Malaysia continue to go about our daily chores in peace. There are no nation-wide street riots. There is no anarchy. Although faced with rising fuel prices and its consequential hardships, the people of Malaysia still believe in the sovereignty of the law.

Good behaviour and morality – Kesopanan dan Kesusilaan

Politicians and leaders should lead by example and in order to do that, they should strive to be wholesome and pure. They should be hard working and be concerned about the welfare of the people. They should be free from corruption and nepotism.

However, just look at the names listed below. I shall not comment on what they did because the names speak for themselves.

Dr Chua Soi Lek, Zakaria Md. Deros, Rahim Noor, S Samy Vellu, Balkis, Persatuan Bunga Tanjung…

The prime minister should do his homework first before commenting on issues which are sensitive to the people’s hearts. Charity begins at home, and so does cleaning your own compound.

People who stand up for their rights are not treacherous. Malaysians are, in fact, practicing the principles of the Rukunegara by voicing out their concerns for humanity, justice, equality and peace.

The prime minister should stand in front of a huge mirror and look at his own government first before accusing us of blemishing the nation’s ideologies.

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It’s weekend, and practically sick from my own cooking, I decided for a mamak breakfast. Over my cuppa ice tea while the chinese school nearby playing their usual morning national anthem, Negaraku. I found myself pondering at the lyrics as the anthem was aired. I no longer felt the guilt that I used to have when I was younger if I did not stand up straight to respect the national anthem. Silently, deep inside, I wonder why.

Negaraku, tanah tumpahnya darahku (Is this still my country? It’s full of foreigners and illegal immigrants. I can no longer walk around feeling I’m truly in Malaysia. I felt so foreign in my very own country.)

Rakyat hidup, bersatu dan maju ( Some rakyat maybe are ‘united’ to get what they want, but we’re definitely not moving forward or developing, be it our mindset or our physical development. I can’t honestly say we’re all united. Just look at the government and Malaysian politics now. Fractions of political beliefs is everywhere.)

Rahmat bahagia, Tuhan kurniakan, raja kita, selamat bertakhta ( The Kings and Queens may sit on the throne, safe and sound, but the voices of the politicians seems to be louder than our Kings. And the previous qualms about who should be Menteri Besar in Perlis and Terengganu ; The King’s choice or PM’s choice. I was shocked that there are certain group of people who dares to questioned the King’s choice over who should be Menteri Besar. And they dare to protest, even. At that moment, one was left wondering, has the rulers has lost their rights to voice up their opinion? Or the PM simply wants to show his own power and challenge the rulers? After all, he did put up some resistant in the Terengganu and Perlis MB issue, though he had to relent to the king’s choice nevertheless after some period of time. With politicians bahaving like this, I wonder if most of the politicians in Malaysia these days truly ‘setia kepada raja’. They seems to be serving themselves and their savings account than serving the citizens and the rulers)

Cleffairy: Daulat tuanku! Semoga Tuhan mencucuri rahmat dan limpah kurniaNya terhadap kamu dan rakyatmu. Semoga pihak kerajaan membuka mata, hati dan telinga untuk mendengar rintihan rakyat dan melakukan apa yang terdaya untuk memajukan Malaysia dan memartabatkan nama negara di mata dunia.

6 comments

  1. cleffairy says:

    LMAO… as much as i want to do nothing but be a pig on weekend-makan tidur…i still can’t help it la. I get boooooOOOOreeeDDD….

    😛

  2. cleffairy says:

    Hi wazzup, thank you for visiting my blog…I went to vote in your poll, hope it helps. Yadda… it’s the way things that’s going on in Malaysia that got me thinking alot these days… I’m trying to adapt to the changes with very little success… I try to think of solutions but it can’t be applied in every single situations…and i think, like most of us these days, i do what everyone do best…. whine whine, whine. LOL.

    😛

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