'Embrace Rukun Negara as the pillar of national unity'

The five principles of the Rukun Negara must be embraced by the plural society in this country in order to achieve the shared goals of peace and prosperity.

The chief librarian at Universiti Putra Malaysia’s Sultan Abdul Samad Library, Muzaffar Shah Kassim, said that appreciation of the Rukun Negara is crucial as it is the pillar of national unity.

“Society needs to understand the culture of being respectful to one another to achieve a shared well-being, peaceful and prosperous nation.

“People also need to think of the importance of Malaysia Day in the country’s history because, without racial unity, the goals may not be achieved,” Muzaffar said when met at the Rukun Negara’s 50th Anniversary Celebration Roadshow organised by Bernama at the Sultan Abdul Samad Library yesterday.

Muzaffar also cited the words of the second prime minister, the late Abdul Razak Hussein, who said that the secret to perfecting the Rukun Negara is through practice, otherwise, the Rukun Negara is merely a piece of document bereft of meaning.

During the event, the coordinator of the roadshow, Hasnita Ibrahim, handed over promotional materials related to the anniversary celebration to Muzaffar to be distributed to visitors at the library.

“The library is a large community centre and anything the library organises will definitely garner a response. It is not limited to just library staff but to the whole community,” said Hasnita, adding that the roadshow went smoothly and lively despite being held in the new normal due to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The roadshow, which started on Aug 24, involved 33 selected locations including 16 schools nationwide and is scheduled to end today, Sept 15.

- Bernama