Rukun negara as a preamble to malaysian constitution

Abstract

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.