©The Sun (Used
by permission)
by Cindy Tham
KUALA LUMPUR (April 3, 2007): All Malaysians must
defend and promote the integrity of the Federal Constitution, the Raja Muda of
Perak Raja Nazrin Shah said today.
The Raja Muda listed this as one of seven things Malaysia has to do to ensure it
continues to be successful at nation building.
"All Malaysians, regardless of race and religion, have a place in this nation,
and society must recognise that they share a common home and responsibility to
build the nation together.
"Malaysians of all races, religions, and geographic locations need to believe
beyond a shadow of a doubt that they have a place under the Malaysian sun.
"Only when each citizen believes he or she has a common home and is working
towards a common destiny, will he or she make the sacrifices needed for the long
haul."
He said the Constitution, the Rukun Negara and Vision 2020 encapsulated the
rights, hopes and aspirations of the people.
He stressed that the integrity of these documents, especially the Constitution,
must be defended and promoted.
Raja Nazrin said these in his keynote address at the Young Malaysians'
Roundtable Discussion on National Unity and Development in Malaysia:
Prospects and Challenges for Nation Building.
The discussion was organised by the Bar Council's National Young Lawyers
Committee and Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute's Centre for Public Policy
Studies.
Eleven panellists shared their views at the discussion, attended by some 150
participants from the legal fraternity, non–governmental organisations,
government departments and the public.
The other six guidelines for successful nation–building are:
• In seeking solutions to problems in nation building, don't assume away
problems.
"Nation–building is required precisely because there are stark differences
within society. There will therefore be chauvinistic groups in this country,
just as there are in others. They will fight the idea of national unity, block
social change and try to be politically dominant."
He pointed out that the existence of such groups meant that society must be
prepared to "negotiate our way through and around these differences".
"We can, for example, create social movements that aim to enlighten and dissuade
popular support being given to them."
• Nation–building requires accommodation and compromise.
"In our haste to be prescriptive, we should not be so idealistic that we are
incapable of also being practical."
Nazrin said to seek the best solutions, society should be prepared to "sacrifice
some part of our positions for the good of the whole".
• Avoid enforced solutions.
"Nation building is effectively rendered null and void by coercion or the threat
of violence. 'Might' cannot and must not be shown to be 'right'. If solutions
cannot be found within the political and social structures, there will be a
strong temptation to resort to illegitimate ways and means."
• Be open, tolerant and forward–looking
"Only by being inclusive and participative can the various sectors of our
society be productively engaged. It follows that all forms of extremism,
chauvinism, racism and isolationism must be guarded against. They must be
soundly sanctioned socially, politically and, if necessary, also legally."
• Nation building is a process, not an outcome
It takes time and persistence to build a nation. "Where there is no trust, trust
has to be built. Where there is no cooperative network, one has to be
established. Building on layers of foundation is the only way to ensure that the
process is solid and sustainable."
• Political, social and economic incentives must reward good behaviour and
penalise bad.
"The incentives for building up a nation must be greater and more compelling
than breaking it down. The price of racial and cultural intolerance must be made
prohibitively high."