Kuala Lampur, June 2 -- Our own great constitutionalist, Prof Dr Shad Saleem Faruqi explains the Rukun Negara in the following paragraphs.

The Rukun Negara are five stirring objectives of our nation: unity; a democratic way of life; a just society where the prosperity of the country can be enjoyed together in a fair and equitable manner; a liberal approach towards our rich and varied cultural traditions; and a progressive society that will make use of science and modern technology.

Supporting the objectives are five transcendental ideals: belief in God; loyalty to king and country; supremacy of the Constitution; rule of law; and courtesy and morality.

Launched by the then Yang di-Pertuan Agong on Aug 31, 1970, and like the Pancasila of...