SHAH ALAM, Oct 5 — The Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, today called on Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) and other institutions of higher learning to educate their students with the values espoused in the “Rukun Negara,” the national precept launched in 1970.
Sultan Abdullah, who is also the UiTM chancellor, said the country needed a younger generation of Malaysians from all walks of life who hold true to the trust and vision embodied in the five principles of the “Rukun Negara.”
“Therefore, today's graduates need to be graduates who are wise and inclined towards welfare that is woven with noble values, and most importantly, to be graduates who live the 'Rukun Negara,'” he said, while urging the continuance of efforts in all corners of the country to inculcate an appreciation for and practice of the “Rukun Negara.”
The Agong was speaking at the opening of the 91st UiTM convocation ceremony, with the Raja Permaisuri Agong, Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah in attendance, along with UiTM vice-chancellor Prof Emeritus Mohd Azraai Kassim.
The “Rukun Negara” should not just be recited every year during National Day celebrations — more importantly, its essence and spirit should be embraced in all aspects of everyday life, Sultan Abdullah said, going on to quote the words of the country's second prime minister Tun Abdul Razak, “Without practice, the 'Rukun Negara' will become a meaningless document.”
The Agong also explained that according to the second principle of the "Rukun Negara," the king was not just a symbol but the umbrella of the country's sovereignty, and as such, Malaysians were called to be loyal to king and country instead of enslaving themselves to agendas of conflict or enmity.
A total of 24, 914 students will receive degrees and diplomas at the convocation which will last until Thursday, and be held at UiTM's main campus and its 13 branches across the country. — Bernama
