LETTERS: In line with the 67th National Day celebration this year, we will always be reminded of the five principles of the Rukun Negara. Unfortunately, we have neglected to equally promote its objectives.
As a result, many are not aware of their importance. Hence, a new approach to strengthen the narrative on Rukun Negara is needed.
The five objectives are achieving greater unity; maintaining a democratic way of life; creating a just society with equitable sharing of prosperity; ensuring a liberal approach to the country's rich and diverse cultural traditions; and, building a progressive society by harnessing modern science and technology.
I consider these as the first expression of our national aspiration, which in essence, and in the current context, refers to a harmonious, prosperous, progressive and sustainable (HPPS) Malaysia.
Although environmental sustainability did not become a global concern until 1987 (The Brundtland Report), the Rukun Negara's forward-looking fifth objective already spelled that out with sustainability in science and green technology.
There have been several other articulations of our national aspiration as enunciated by the political slogans of the various governments over the years.
Vision 2020, 1Malaysia, Ekspresi Negaraku, Transformasi Nasional — all are elaborations of HPPS. Keluarga Malaysia was an emphasis on the harmonious component.
And the current Madani Malaysia, which comprises Sustainability, Care and Compassion, Respect, Innovation and Prosperity and Trust, is an expression
of HPPS. Care and compassion, and respect and trust, are both respectively the requirements and outcome of the "harmonious" aspect.
I am advocating a consistency paradigm in embracing HPPS as the core components of our national aspiration, based on the objectives of Rukun Negara, which ever way it is articulated in a political slogan.
This would facilitate monitoring, evaluation and augmentation of policies, implementation strategies and programmes in political, economic, STI and social development, the last being the function of the "harmonious" component.
There are three requirements for the "harmonious" component: satisfying basic needs, improving quality of life, and promoting the socio-cultural-religious (SCR) values and practices of citizens.
As for satisfying basic needs, the United Nation's Development Programme (UNDP) Human Development Index — which captures three dimensions of human development (long healthy life, being knowledgeable and decent standard of living) — gave Malaysia a score of 0.803 in its 2022/2023 assessment, putting us in a very high human development category.
It can be argued that basic needs are not a major pressing issue in Malaysia. And the unity government's Madani Economy Framework is a policy for both satisfying basic needs and improving the quality of life.
What is not receiving enough attention is the SCR values and practices, leading to the persistent threat to social harmony and an elusive national unity.
This portion of the "harmonious" pillar needs urgent attention and action to counter the pestering racism and other persistent causes of disharmony.
And the emergent vigilantism element must be nipped in the bud, as has been urged by concerned citizens.
What is urgently required are, therefore, actionable practices in promoting and fostering sustained harmony and a code of ethical conduct in ensuring good manners when communicating and behaving at all times.
It's time to re-imagine Rukun Negara as our national aspiration for an HPPS Malaysia, which in essence, are the goals of Malaysia Madani and a recipe for a peaceful and prosperous nation.
TAN SRI OMAR ABDUL RAHMAN
Chair
Dialog Rakyat Organising Committee Member of UCSI University Council
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times