'Liberal' in Rukun Negara preamble means accepting differences: Minister

The word “liberal” in the preamble of the Rukun Negara refers to accepting differences in a plural society, National Unity Minister Aaron Ago Dagang clarified today.

Hence, he said all quarters should refrain from misinterpreting the use of the word in the declaration.

“One of the ambitions of the Rukun Negara is ‘guaranteeing a liberal approach towards our traditional heritage that is rich and diverse’.

“In this context, the word ‘liberal’ refers to being open and accepting of cultural differences between the various races and ethnicities,” he said in a statement.

This comes after the full Rukun Negara was read out in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday, leading to a discourse over the word “liberal” being in the declaration.

Most Malaysians’ exposure to the declaration is limited to the five principles, which are commonly read out as part of school assemblies.

This led to allegations by some on social media that the Rukun Negara had been modified after the Pakatan Harapan-led coalition government was formed, to insert the word “liberal” into the declaration.

However, the Rukun Negara remains unchanged from its original form introduced on Aug 31, 1970.

The word liberal in the political context is the antithesis of conservatism, which views liberalism as a threat towards established cultural, societal, and religious norms.

The Rukun Negara was introduced as a means to form a uniting national ideology following the deadly May 13, 1969 racial riots.

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