Teo Kok Seong, a senior fellow with the National Council of Professors, said mere recitation of the official declaration of the nation’s philosophy would not be sufficient to foster a true understanding of its principles.

“We need some kind of curriculum and syllabus, and to introduce it during primary school and kindergarten,” he said, outlining a three-tiered approach involving the memorisation, understanding and application of the five principles.

“We are only successful at the first level – memorisation. Now is the time to implement the second level, understanding, by taking concrete action.”

On Monday, national unity minister Aaron Ago Dagang said his ministry was working to ensure the full recitation of the Rukun Negara in state legislative assemblies nationwide, following its successful inclusion as part of the agenda for each opening session of the Dewan Rakyat.

He said that the ministry’s national unity and integration department has, in conjunction with the ongoing National Month celebrations, launched an explanatory programme to help people better understand the Rukun Negara.

The national philosophy is encapsulated in five core principles: belief in God; loyalty to king and country; supremacy of the constitution; the rule of law; good behaviour and morality.

It is aimed at fostering national unity, maintaining a democratic way of life, creating a just society, ensuring the growth of a liberal society, and building a progressive society.

Meanwhile, Tajuddin Rasdi of UCSI University called for the Rukun Negara to be integrated into religious education, including in madrasah curricula and Islamic studies in public schools.

He said that the principles must be explained within the Islamic value system, as “terms such as ‘progressive’ and ‘liberal’ are viewed negatively by conservative Muslims”.

“Without showing how these principles can coexist with Islamic teachings, the Rukun Negara will struggle to gain acceptance among the Muslim community,” he said.

Teo agreed with Tajuddin’s suggestion but cautioned against introducing an Islamic perspective, as it could alienate non-Muslims.

“Introducing an Islamic interpretation of the principles might be seen as an attempt to Islamise the Rukun Negara, which could cause discomfort among non-Muslims,” he said, adding that the Rukun Negara must remain secular.