Formation of new govt should be based on Rukun Negara principles - Lee Lam Thye

KUALA LUMPUR: The formation of the new government should be based on the five principles of Rukun Negara, which contain the core of maintaining peace and harmony in the country.

Yayasan Perpaduan Malaysia's board of trustees member Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said the formation of the government must not only focus on economic issues, the cost of living and corruption, but also on the foundation of unity.

"To become a strong and stable country, it is most important that the people be united. When unity among the people is strong, a country will certainly progress with excellence," he told Bernama today.

Lee said when talking about unity, one must go back to the foundation, that is Rukun Negara, and he hoped that these principles would later guide the formation of the new government.

"If we stick to the principles of Rukun Negara, I think that is the best and right approach to form a strong unity government that can work towards national harmony," he added.

Lee was responding to a call by the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, urging graduates to apply the fifth principle of the Rukun Negara -- courtesy and morality -- when communicating on social media.

He said that as intelligent Malaysians, we should not only use the fifth principle as a guide but use all the Rukun Negara principles as a way of life to produce outstanding Malaysian citizens.

He said if Malaysians adopt these goals and principles to heart, they will surely succeed in creating a society that fully embodies the spirit of being a Malaysian.

-- BERNAMA