The Rukunegara or sometimes Rukun Negara (Malay for "National Principles") is the Malaysian declaration of national philosophy instituted by royal proclamation on Merdeka Day, 1970, in reaction to a serious race riot known as the May 13 Incident which occurred in 1969. The incident proved at that time that Malaysian racial balance and stability was fragile at best. Immediately thereafter, the Malaysian government sought ways to foster unity among Malaysians. One of the methods used to encourage unity is the Rukunegara.
The word Rukunegara can refer to the whole declaration, the words after the preamble (beginning Maka kami...) or the five principles alone.
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BAHAWASANYA NEGARA KITA MALAYSIA mendukung cita-cita hendak:
MAKA KAMI, rakyat Malaysia, berikrar akan menumpukan seluruh tenaga dan usaha kami untuk mencapai cita-cita tersebut berdasarkan atas prinsip-prinsip yang berikut :
WHEREAS OUR COUNTRY, MALAYSIA nurtures the ambitions of:
NOW, THEREFORE WE, the people of Malaysia, pledge to concentrate the whole of our energy and efforts to achieve these ambitions based on the following principles:
Our nation, Malaysia, is being dedicated to:
We, the people of Malaysia, pledge our united efforts to attain these ends, guided by these principles:
信奉上苍、 忠於君国， 维护宪法、 尊崇法治、 培养德行.
It is a norm for primary and secondary public schools in Malaysia to recite the pledge weekly during a compulsory assembly. Pledge reading follows immediately after the singing of the Malaysian national anthem, Negaraku. Of some interest, the Rukun Negara could usually be found behind the cover of every exercise book that is typically used by primary and secondary Malaysian public school students. This is primarily a move recognised to have been formulated to emulate the similar tactic introduced by the Singapore government immediately after her departure from the Malaysian Federation in 1965.
Recently, on December 8, 2005, the Malaysian government has made reading of the pledge compulsory at official functions. The announcement was made a few months after the government made singing of the national anthem as compulsory at every official function. (Bernama)