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LETTER | Rukun Negara not a prop for ridicule
LETTER | I refer to the viral post in which the Rukun Negara was used as a prop for mockery.
Malaysia is a diverse country. With that diversity naturally comes different views, beliefs and forms of expression. Criticism, satire and artistic expression all have their place in a democratic society.
But there is a line between questioning institutions and ridiculing the very principles intended to hold our nation together.
The Rukun Negara was conceived as a national foundation, a set of shared principles intended to provide common ground for Malaysians of every race, religion and background. That common ground matters.
We cannot continuously speak about national unity, mutual respect and social harmony while simultaneously treating the principles associated with those ideals as material for ridicule.
This does not mean the Rukun Negara should be beyond discussion. Thoughtful debate is healthy in any democracy. But there is a clear distinction between engaging critically and deliberately trivialising what it represents.
Freedom of expression is important, but it should also be exercised with a sense of responsibility.
That responsibility becomes even more important for public figures, performers and content creators whose platforms allow their words and actions to reach large audiences.
At the same time, the response to offensive expression must itself remain measured, proportionate and firmly grounded in law. Defending respect for national principles should never become a justification for disproportionate action.
There is therefore a simple standard worth preserving that is critise freely but don't trivialise the very foundation that us live together as a nation.
The Rukun Negara belongs to every Malaysian. Whatever our race or religion, it deserves to be approached with seriousness, respect and dignity.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.
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The danger of making judgement on a short clip versus watching the play in its entirety is that there could have been important context that was not shown. The writer must understand that the Rukun Negara itself has some contradictions in its own text - for example, "Guaranteeing a liberal approach towards our traditional heritage" - using both the terms "liberal" and "traditional". Art is a form of expression and that's what this play was (we don't have to agree with the content, but we must agree that is was a form of expression). Once again - the Rukun Negara asks that we pledge in "Building a progressive society that will make use of science and modern technology". I think we can all agree that no progressive society can be built without the free exchange of ideas and expression. It needs to defending, but it must be tested against time and we must be willing to accept that we need to change along with it - as the Rukun Negara itself asks.
Dear letter writer, You are right that Rukun Negara is for all Malaysians. But the interpretations were all destroyed when NR was allowed discount in Fine and Term. and subsequently home. Don't you think it is A ridicule of the Rukun Negara. Where is the FAIRNESS to all Malaysians?
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