Rukun Negara is the Malaysian declaration of national philosophy drafted by the National Consultative Council and launched on 31st August 1970. The Rukun Negara aspires to establish a substantial unity of a nation. The principles in the Rukun Negara serve as an integrative key to harmonious and unity of the people in ensuring Malaysia’s success and stability. To realize the aspiration above, five (5) principles are presented, namely the “Belief in God”; “Loyalty to the King and Country”; “Supremacy of the Constitution”; “Rules of Law”; and “Courtesy and Morality.” However, there is a postulation that Rukun Negara’s inclusion as a preamble may undermine constitutional supremacy. Therefore, this paper is aimed to enlighten the matter via critical interpretation of the principles and examination of related cases in Malaysia. The conducted analyses showed that the Federal Constitution per se is sufficient and comprehensive to address the conflicting issues. Despite some ambiguities probed in the Constitution, its supremacy is still fully preserved and effective without including Rukun Negara as the preamble.
Malaysian population is made up various segments. Over the years, it has developed unique characters that have become part of the make-up or the identity of Malaysia. Other than its multi-ethnics composition, such an identity has consequently given rise to political and cultural hegemonies that lead to the inevitability of conflict between the ethnics, seen as the major hurdle of the community and developmental policies. Not only has the ethnic conflict stifled socio-economic development, but it has also as well interrupted developmental policies, apart from causing extreme socialization of ethnic politics marred with prejudice and bloody skirmishes among the communities. Pursuant to that, this article examines the background of the conflict to identify the factors that influence the dynamics of the Malaysian community conflict. Hitherto, numerous literatures over the subject have pointed to the applicability of the theory of social cohesion deemed to suit Malaysia's multi-ethic characteristic of the community. In this regard, social cohesion will be applied as a tool to measure the level of national integration among Malaysians. This study argues that the theory of social cohesion, for all intents and purposes, is defective as it fails to end ethnic conflict. As such, it is only appropriate that the theory needs to be improved to allow for accurate comprehension of the causes of ethnic conflict, and other problems that hamper national community development. At the same time, this qualitative study also offers significant opportunity for future research that seeks to resolve the problem of ethnic unity of the country. The fact is, community development and its involvement in the implementation of the related policy, are integral to preserve national harmony and political stability. More so since the system of punishment, the supposedly permanent means to make national integrity stronger, is no longer reliable due to its vulnerability to political abuse.
Kesusasteraan lepas cenderung melihat federalisme Malaysia dibentuk oleh faktor sejarah dan penjajahan. Oleh kerana itulah mereka selalu membahagikan perbincangan mereka di dalam federalisme Malaysia kepada tiga tahap perkembangan iaitu kolonialisme, dekolonialisme dan pasca-kolonialisme. Berbeza dari kajian terdahulu, artikel ini cuba melihat dan meneroka pengaruh etnisiti dalam pencorakan perkembangan federalisme Malaysia. Semasa proses dekolonisasi, etnisiti menjadi antara angkubah utama yang dipertimbang oleh Suruhanjaya Reid dalam menggubal perlembagaan Persekutuan Malaya 1957 yang agak terpusat bagi mengekalkan identiti Melayu, Islam dan kedudukan Raja-raja Melayu. Semasa pembentukan Persekutuan Malaysia pada tahun 1963 pula, etnisiti turut mempengaruhi rekayasa struktur persekutuan yang asimetrikal. Tujuannya adalah bagi memastikan identiti dan autonomi etnik di Sabah dan Sarawak terpelihara kerana tanpa jaminan ini, Sabah dan Sarawak sukar untuk bersetuju untuk membentuk Persekutuan Malaysia. Selepas rusuhan kaum pada tahun 1969 sehingga politik kontemporari kini, pengaruh etnisiti telah mencorakkan Malaysia sebagai federalisme multi-etnik. Ini dapat dilihat dengan wujudnya kebangkitan nasionalisme etnik majoriti, perdebatan mengenai asimilasi dan integrasi etnik, tuntutan perlembagaan yang lebih simetri antara pusat-negeri, persaingan etnik antara Melayu dan bukan Melayu di Semenanjung, antara Muslim Bumiputera dan bukan Muslim Bumiputera di Sabah dan Sarawak dan pertentangan antara kumpulan agama konservatif dalam progresif. Justeru, pengaruh etnisiti yang kuat ini berupaya menjejaskan matlamat serampang dua mata federalisme multi-etnik di Malaysia, iaitu mengiktiraf kepelbagaian (diversity) dan mewujudkan perpaduan (unity) kerana ia terus mengekalkan sifat tegang tetapi stabil dalam kalangan masyarakatnya. Pun begitu, artikel ini melihat struktur federalismenya yang bersifat terpusat, asimetri dan multi-etnik inilah yang menyumbang kepada kestabilan sosio-politik dan integriti persekutuan Malaysia.
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