FIRST MALAYSIAN STUDENT LEADERS SUMMIT 2007: Raja Nazrin speaks his mind...

"FIFTY years of the national relay race has been run and we have covered a good distance and achieved much.

However, every coin has two sides.

Let us not be naive in thinking it is all a rosy picture. There is still much room for improvement.

Interaction between the ethnic groups, to the extent that it exists, remains more of an urban phenomenon. In recent years, ethnic identities appear to have become more explicit. In some instances, what divides us has become more emphasised than what unites us.

Moreover, the impasse at the global level between Islam and non-Islam affects even a moderate country like Malaysia.

Matters of faith are topics of immense controversy. They provoke overzealousness and coercive action, and drive Malaysians further and further away from each other.

Our diversity was meant to be our unique asset. The Federal Constitution and the Rukun Negara institutionalised living together in peaceful, harmonious co-existence.

YET, 50 YEARS AFTER MERDEKA, WE ARE STILL GRAPPLING WITH CONCERNS ABOUT UNITY.

It is also very important we have leaders who are earnest in maintaining unity, never resorting to religious or ethnic posturing to further their political careers at the expense of peace and security. If they fail, they must be held accountable and made answerable before the law.

Malaysia needs a future generation of leaders with unquestionable integrity. Only those who are capable, responsible and scrupulously honest should be allowed to serve in positions of leadership. Those who are inefficient, incompetent and, most importantly, corrupt, should be held in absolute contempt.

The current phase of nation-building should be in tune with the temper of the times to reflect new realities of the modern world. We are facing a globalised environment where excellence and meritocracy are the rules of the game. The opportunities in the global world reward those with ability, regardless of colour or creed.

A multi-ethnic country like Malaysia has to be especially watchful since, in the absence of a strong national identity, we are prone to polarisation and competition along ethno-religious lines.

The Constitution is the supreme law of the country which guarantees fundamental liberties to every citizen. A cleverly crafted document, it clearly provides for adequate checks and balances against excesses through the separation of powers between the executive, legislative and judicial branches — with each protected from encroachment by the other.

It has often been said that many a misunderstanding may be avoided if the principles embodied in the Constitution are adhered to strictly.

Upholding the rule of law is paramount.

In this connection, I can do no better than to quote the words of Baroness Helena Kennedy QC, a leading jurist: ‘Law is the bedrock of a nation; it tells us who we are, what we value. It regulates our human relationships one to the other and our relationships as citizens with the state... The rule of law is one of the tools we use in our stumbling progress towards civilising the human condition: A structure of law, with proper methods and independent judges, before whom even a government must be answerable... WE HAVE TO STAND UP AND BE COUNTED. WE HAVE TO PROTECT THE THINGS THAT MAKE OUR NATIONS GREAT..."