I've been reading a lot of articles of issues happening in my beloved country, Malaysia. Racial issues, religion issues, laws, amongst many. Saddens me to read all these. When I was young, I remembered reciting our Rukun Negara everytime we have our morning school assemblies.
** Image credit: Google
I would strongly urged my fellow Malaysians to read and remember back these philosophies, the following which contains excerpt (in italized paragraphs) taken from Dept. of National Unity & Integration website:
Kepercayaan kepada Tuhan (Belief in God)
In Bahasa: "Bangsa dan Negara ini telah diwujudkan atas kepercayaan yang kukuh kepada Tuhan. Sesungguhnya dengan nama Tuhanlah, Bangsa dan Negara ini diwujudkan sebagai sebuah Bangsa dan Negara yang berdaulat. Islam adalah agama rasmi Persekutuan. Agama-agama dan kepercayaan-kepercayaan lain boleh diamalkan dengan aman dan tenteram dan tindakan membeza-bezakan terhadap seseorang warganegara atasalas an agama adalah dilarang."
In English: "The People and Nation were established based on our strong faith in God. It is indeed in the name of God that the People and Nation were established as a sovereign People and Nation. Islam is the official religion of the Federation. Other religions and faiths can be practised in peace and harmony and the act of discriminating a citizen in the name of a religion is forbidden."
Kesetiaan kepada Raja dan Negara (Loyalty to King & Country)
In Bahasa: "Malaysia adalah sebuah Negara yang mengamalkan pemerintahan beraja yang berpelembagaan dan Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong ialah Ketua Negara yang Berdaulat. Selaras dengan kedudukan Yang di-Pertuan Agong sebagai seorang Raja di bawah Perlembagaan, maka demikianlah juga sisitem beraja akan berlangsung dengan Baginda Raja-Raja sebagai ketua Negeri masing-masing. Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Raja-Raja dan Gabenor-gabenor merupakan lambang perpaduan oleh itu, Baginda berada di luar politik. Kesetiaan yang dikehendaki daripada setiap warganegara adalah menumpukan sepenuh taat setia yang bener-benar jujur. Selain itu mereka yang menjadi rakyat Raja-Raja hendaklah juga menumpukan taat setia setia kepada Raja masing-masing tetapi dengan tidak mengurangkan taat setia mereka kepada Yang di-Pertuan Agong dan Persekutuan. Kesetiaan ialah jiwa bangsa kita. Kesetiaan dari hati sanubari kepada Raja dan tanahair inilah yang menyatukan kita semua daripada pelbagai kaum menjadi satu Bangsa yang bersatupadu. Kesetiaan kepada Negara-negara lain adalah bertentangan dengan kesetiaan yang tidak berbelahbagi kepada Negara ini."
In English: "Malaysia is a Country which practises constitutional monarchy and His Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong is the Head of a Sovereign Country. The monarchy system is in line with the status of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong as a Constitutional Ruler, whereby Their Royal Highnesses the Kings are the heads of their respective states. His Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the Kings and Governors are symbols of unity therefore, His Majesty is not involved in politics. Loyalty is demanded from the citizens through sincere devotion. In addition, the Kings' people must also be devoted to their respective Kings and not compromising their devotion towards the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the Federal Government. Loyalty is the soul of the nation. Sincere loyalty towards the Rulers and the nation is that which unites various races into an integrated Nation. Loyalty towards other Countries is contrary to the undivided loyalty towards our Nation."
Keluhuran Perlembagaan (Supremacy of the Constitution)
In Bahasa: "Kewarganegaraan member seseorang itu taraf keanggootaan sebuah negara. Perlembagaan member kepada seseorang warganegara hak-hak dan keistimewaan tertentu; Perlembagaan juga meletakkan padanya tanggungjawab dan kewajipan-kewajipan tertentu terhadap Bangsa da Negara. Setiap warganegara wajib menghormati dan menghargai kandungan, maksud dan latar sejarah Perlembagaan. Latar sejarah inilah yang telah menyebabkan termaktubnya beberapa fasal dalam Perlembagaan seperti yang berkaitan dengan kedudukan Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong dan Raja-Raja, kedudukan Agama Islam sebagai agama rasmi, kedudukan Bahasa Melayu sebagai bahasa kebangsaan dan bahasa rasmi, kedudukan istimewa orang-orang Melayu dan kaum-kaum asal yang lain, hak-hak yang adil bagi kaum-kaum lain dan soal pemberian taraf kewarganegaraan. Tanggungjawab mulia dan suci seseorang warganegara ialah mempertahankan dan menjunjung Perlembagaan."
In English: "Citizenship endows one a sense of belonging to the country. The Constitution grants certain rights and privileges to a citizen; the Constitution also places certain responsibilities and obligations toward the Nation and Country. Every citizen is required to respect and appreciate the content, meaning and history of the Constitution. It is the history which has enshrined a number of clauses in the Constitution such as those pertaining to the status of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the Kings, Islam as the official religion, Bahasa Melayu as the national and official language, the privileges of the Malays and other native communities as well as the granting of citizenship. It is a noble and solemn responsibility for a citizen to preserve and uphold the Constitution."
Kedaulatan Undang-undang (The Rule of Law)
In Bahasa: "Keadilan diasaskan atas kedaulatan undan-undang. Setiap rakyat tarafnya sama di sisi undang-undang. Kebebasan asasi terjamin bagi semua warganegara. Kebebasan ini termasuklah kebebasan seseorang, perlindungan sama di sisi undang-undang, kebebasan beragam, kebebasan memiliki harta benda dan perlindungan daripada dibuang negeri. Perlembagaan member kepada seseorang rakyat hak mengeluarkan fikiran, hak berhimpun dan hak menubuhkan persatuan. Hak-hak ini boleh digunakan dengan bebas asalkan tidak melanggar sekatan-sekatan yang dikenakan oleh undang-undang. Hak-hak dan kebebasan yang dijamin oleh Perlembagaan itu tidaklah termasuk hak menggulingkan Kerajaan sama ada dengan kekerasan atau dengan cara-cara yang tidak menurut Perlembagaan. Kedaulatan undang-undang terjamin denga adanya sebuah badan kehakiman yang bebas serta mempunyai kuasa bagi memutuskan sama ada sesuatu perbuatan pemerintah itu sah atau tidak dari segi Perlembagaan undang-undang."
In English: "Justice is based on the sovereignty of the law. All citizens are equal in the eyes of law. freedom is guaranteed for all. This includes individual freedom, equal legal protection, freedom of religion, freedom to own assets and protection against banishment. The Constitution provides the right for a citizen to speak up, the right to assemble and the right to form associations. These rights can be exercised freely provided that it does not contravene the restrictions imposed by the law. The rights and freedom guaranteed by the Constitution exclude the right to topple the Government either forcibly or by unconstitutional means. Sovereignty of the law is guaranteed with the existence of an independent judiciary body and the power to decide whether the conduct of a ruler is legal or otherwise in accordance with the Constitution."
Kesopanan dan Kesusilaan (Mutual Respect & Good Social Behaviour)
In Bahasa: "Setiap orang dan setiap golongan hendaklah menguruskan hal masing-masing dengan cara yang tidak melanggar tatasusila. Tatasusila ini membenci dan mengutuk tingkah laku atau perbuatan yang angkuh atau yang menyinggung perasaan sesuatu golongan. Seseorang warganegara tidak boleh menyoal kesetiaan seorang warganegara yang lain dengan alasan bahawa ianya berasal dari keturunan tertentu. Tingkah laku sopan juga mengandungi suatu darjah kesusilaan yang tinggi dalam kedua-dua kehidupan persendirian dan kehidupan awam kita."
In English: "Each person or group of people is required to handle their own affairs by ways which do not contravene morality. Morality condemns arrogance or conducts which offend others. A citizen is not supposed to question the loyalty of another citizen based on his/her ancestry. Being courteous also carries a high degree of morality in our individual and public lives."
Growing up, I don't remember my parents teaching me to differentiate one another by their race, religion, skin color and so on. Everyone is the same. You are born into this world, make sure you make the best of it and give your best for it. No discrimination, no self pity, no intolerance, no comparison.
As a parent now, I am doing the same to our kiddos as what my parents have done for me. Even though our kiddos are still young, never have I once uttered anything about race, skin colors or religions to our kiddos. To them, everyone is the same. Nurture humility, no one is more superior than the others.
Oh parents, do not complicate a child's innocent and pure mind.
Look above our differences as underneath we are all the same, just plain simple human being.
Skin color different? My blood is red, how about yours?
Religion different? I belief in God. And my God teach us to be good to one another, to love one another. How about yours?
Race different? I'm of human race, how about you?
** Image credit: Google
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