The Malaysian Insight

PEOPLE need a deeper understanding of the country’s national principles, said author and cultural researcher Eddin Khoo, who unveiled his new book, Rukunegara: A Brief Introduction, today.

Launched under Projek Bina Bangsa in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the Rukunegara, the book explores the history surrounding the national principles that were introduced on August 31, 1970, to foster unity among Malaysians. 

“We have a whole nation that is unread and hungry to get into the skin of what shaped this very complex country. 

“My young self used to come to the silly conclusion that our constitution is a constitution of convenience,” the founder and director of Pusaka said at the launch in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur.

Khoo said the book serves to illuminate history using commentaries and debates that took place over the drafting of the principles.

The purpose is to provide an insight into the ideas and the objectives, as well as the beauty and eloquence behind the Rukunegara’s construction.

It also aims to help readers understand the principles that are commonly recited during school assemblies.

Khoo added that it was rare to find literature solely on the Rukunegara as most political books he has read only contain a paragraph or two about the national principles.

“There has been no book on the Rukunegara itself,” he said.

The book is one in a series of 10 books to be published under Projek Bina Bangsa, an initiative to release books that delve into the country’s foundational milestones.

The project by Pusaka, which is supported by Allianz Malaysia, also aims to provide essential material for public education and promote broader discussions on Malaysia’s history.

After the Rukunegara, the nine remaining books in the series are: The Malayan Union, The Making of the Malayan Constitution, The Formation of Malaysia, The National Language Act and National Cultural Congress, The Malacca Digest, The Treaty of Pangkor, The Malay Reservation Enactment 1913, The New Economic Policy and Wawasan 2020.

Allianz Malaysia CEO Zakri Khir, meanwhile, said the Rukunegara is something many people have committed to memory but not to contemplation.

“While the constitution teaches us how to live, the Rukunegara tells us how to do it,” he said at the launch.

Zakri said the idea of publishing the books under Projek Bina Bangsa was appealing because it involved preserving truth and history.

The bilingual edition of Rukunegara: A Brief Introduction is available in bookstores at the end of the month. The other nine books, also written by Khoo, will be released fortnightly from the first release.

The project will also host a series of online videos and virtual discussions to engage with youth, students, civil society, the media and the public to reflect on history and its relevance today.

Khoo added that the journey of producing Rukunegara had been painful because it brought back memories of his father, the late Emeritus Professor Dr Khoo Kay Kim, Malaysia’s eminent historian and one of the drafters of the national principles. 

“In the course of doing this book, his name is always invoked. The question I will ask is, ‘Why does this country remember him?’ A whole lot of people were part of the Rukunegara, and he was just one of the drafters in that small community. 

“I think it is because he encapsulated everything this country wants to be and can be, but finds it very difficult to be,” Khoo said. – September 12, 2020.