Have a Meaningful Vaisakhi - Friday in The STAR

Let us see the world through Rukunegara  

Gurchan Singh (1914-1965)

"The Lion of Malaya"

Back to basics: 

Let us see the world through Rukunegara  

Rukunegara is not just something we say with our lips, but it must also be with our actions. This needs commitment. It is not enough that it is printed at the back of our schoolbooks, and murals, we must carve Rukunegara onto our hearts. We need to melt ourselves into what Rukunegara truly stands for; so it becomes us.

We declare ‘Belief in God’.

How do we translate Kepercayaan kepada Tuhan into our daily relationships in a multicultural society? How do we respect each other’s way of life albeit our diverse practices?

We declare ‘Loyalty to King and Country’.

Do we know what Kesetiaan kepada Raja dan Negara entails? Do we realize how this proclamation links us to our history and culture? Do we know our history and culture? Have we accepted them wholeheartedly? Have we embraced them? Do we respect them? How have we shown that?

We declare ‘Supremacy of Constitution’.

What does it mean when we proclaim Keluhuran Perlembagaan? Does it not mean that we must always be guided by it? And respect it in totality? Does it not mean that we must take the Constitution as a whole? And not pick and choose clauses out of context to suit our arguments?

We declare ‘Rule of Law’.

Do we understand the significance of Kedaulatan Undang-undang in our lives? Have we applied it universally? Do we act in accordance to the law? Do we judge others fairly in accordance to the law too? How do we strive to be good citizens?

We declare ‘Courtesy and Morality’.

How often do we check if we practice Kesopanan dan Kesusilaan? Are we practising this in our daily interaction, our business, our economics, and our politics? How do we treat our family members and friends? How do we treat public figures and foreign workers? Do we give due respect to all or do we pick and choose?

While it is good to memorize Rukunegara, it is more important that we put it into actions. We must practice it over and over until it runs in our blood. We need to breathe our spirit into Rukunegara and let Rukunegara breathe its spirit into us. Let us adopt Rukunegara and make it our rules of engagement with each other. Let us commit and embody them in everything we do. Let us make Rukunegara our culture.

At zubedy, our programs draw strength from shared values and traditions. We believe that at heart, all Malaysians want good things for themselves and for their brother and sister Malaysians, simply because our nation cannot prosper as a whole if some of us are left behind.

Let us be first and foremost Malaysians.

Let us add value,

Have A Meaningful Vaisakhi