Dr. Agoes Salim, the Head of the Research Unit of the National Unity Department. It was decided by the attendees of the meeting that the Malay version of the text shall be the original, while the others as translations of the text. The recitation of the Rukun Negara was encouraged on official events and the text should be recited on the State Opening of the Parliament and State Legislative Assemblies. It was also proposed that a textbook on Rukun Negara should be provided to students, especially during the subject of Tatacara. A brochure (buku risalah) was published and distributed by the Department of Information on the day of declaration of Rukun Negara. A pocket-sized version was also made for both the Malay and English version of the text. The Malay version was reprinted on 1983 following the new spelling system. The Ministry of Information was responsible for distributing, promoting and explaining the Rukun Negara to the public. A three-day seminar was held to explain the content and meaning of Rukun Negara to all the ministry's officers. One of the writers of the declaration, Tan Sri Ghazali Shafie, also gave a talk on the annual general meeting of the department's Union of Employees regarding the Rukun Negara. Several promotional videos were also produced from time to time to be played on television, such as "Towards National Unity" by the National Film Department of Malaysia and the video for the "Today in History" programme (Hari Ini Dalam Sejarah) by the national archives. Rukun Negara text Recitation It is a norm for primary and secondary public schools in Malaysia to recite the pledge weekly during a compulsory assembly. Pledge reading follows immediately after the singing of the Malaysian national anthem, Negaraku. Of some interest, the Rukun Negara could usually be found behind the cover of every exercise book that is typically used by primary and secondary Malaysian public school students. This is primarily a move recognised to have been formulated to emulate the similar tactic introduced by the Singapore government immediately after its expulsion from the Malaysian federation in 1965. On 8 December 2005, the Malaysian government has made reading of the pledge compulsory at official functions. The announcement was made a few months after the government made singing of the national anthem as compulsory at every official function. See also Malaysian New Economic Policy Singapore National Pledge Pancasila References Jeong Chun Hai