The Rukunegara — why only half?

MAKING the Rukunegara part of this year’s Merdeka celebrations would be endorsed by most Malaysians. Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s pledge to project the Rukunegara as the core agenda of the government will further define the future direction of the Malaysian nation.

However, it is regrettable that at the launch on July 9, it was only the 5 principles of the Rukunegara – and not its five aspirations – that were mentioned. A number of us have pointed out on various occasions that the principles and aspirations are intimately linked and cannot be separated from one another. The Rukunegara should be propagated as a single integrated national ideology.