DPM defends BTN courses against racist brainwashing charges

Muhyiddin says BTN courses are not for ‘converting’ participants

Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin defended the controversial Biro Tata Negara (BTN) courses today as a form of nationalism in line with the 1 Malaysia concept despite growing criticisms of racism and political indoctrination.

The deputy prime minister denied that the courses, which are compulsory for civil servants and public university undergraduates, are aimed at “converting” participants to the political ideology of Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN).

His defence of the BTN courses comes a day after the Selangor Pakatan Rakyat (PR) administration moved to bar its civil servants and students from state-owned institutions from the course described as racist and a form of political indoctrination by the federal government.

PR leaders have accused the federal government of using the BTN courses to “brainwash” participants.

It has been reported that participants of BTN courses were repeatedly told of the concept of Ketuanan Melayu, or Malay superiority. Participants are also told not to question “Malay rights” and the “social contract.”

“There are no ulterior motives. These courses are well intended,” Muhyiddin said in Muar today.

He claimed that the Selangor state government had been misinformed and given a wrong impression of the courses.

But his comments today appear to run counter to a proposal by his own Cabinet colleague Datuk Seri Idris Jala to revamp BTN courses in an acknowledgement that it did not promote the 1 Malaysia concept.

The Malaysian Insider had reported last week that the proposal to revamp BTN courses is part of initiatives being pushed by Idris and a task force set up to promote 1 Malaysia, Datuk Seri Najib Razak's concept announced when he took the top job on April 3.

1 Malaysia is one of several laboratories set up to push through ideas on Key Performance Index (KPI) and National Key Results Areas (NKRAs) that Najib knows will be the tipping point in the next general election.

His ruling BN coalition was badly beaten in Election 2008 under the leadership of former Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi when it lost four more states and 82 federal seats to give up its customary two-thirds parliamentary majority.

It was felt the BTN needed a complete makeover to promote inclusiveness.

But Muhyiddin provided a stout defence of the BTN courses today, and asserted that the programmes promoted nationalism and unity.

BTN courses have been running for years, and are intended to instil nationalistic values and patriotism, but are now seen as more of a propaganda unit. The courses are for university students on public scholarships and civil servants. BTN is under the Prime Minister’s Department.

Under the Selangor PR administration's new directives, students at Selangor government-owned institutions of higher learning including Universiti Industri Selangor (Unisel), Kolej Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Selangor and Inpens Selangor will no longer be required to go for BTN courses.

Last week, a group of young PR elected representatives urged the Selangor government to stop allowing students to be sent for what they called “brainwashing propaganda” programmes by BTN.

The group of seven PR lawmakers had also said BTN courses — compulsory for local university students and civil servants — taught students to hate and were contrary to their original purpose as well as the Constitution.

Seri Setia state lawmaker Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, speaking from his own experience, said they were told that PKR members were Jewish agents, that DAP was a Singapore party, while PAS was labelled a deviant movement.

Batu Caves lawmaker Amirudin Shari said a big part of the programme had nothing to do with nation building or education but was an Umno and BN race-based programme where participants are indoctrinated with propaganda about “Ketuanan Melayu”


comments

If this is what BTN is all about now we know what 1 Malaysia all about. Hello, Gerakan,PPP MCA what are you guys going to do about it. Your DPM has already showed very clearly that they are still championing Ketuanan Melayuuuuuuu!

I have been to one ok. It was a 5 day course and indeed the so-called trainers/motivators had nothing in mind but to slam and badmouth Pakatan Rakyat or Opposition parties. Anwar was said to be a Pengkhianat Melayu and an agent to some Yahudi movement; DAP is a pure Chinese party whose main aim is to take over the country and once it does that, Malays will be sidelined (konon...like Belanda dapat tanah); PAS was said to be the "Pemecah Melayu" and that will make the Malays in the country weak. And guess what...who was said to be the saviour of all Malaysians...UMNO and UMNO ONLY. Whoe else.
We were also taught to hate and not to trust the Chinese and Indians and must always remember that Malaysia is a Malay's land.

So please Muhyiddin...be a responsible politician. Dont simply make statements and deny this and that...as if ALL OF US are stupid and can simply swallow your lies. Be honest for once will you. Check you facts first before you start firing you lies.

I dont mind you saying that the Goverment is looking into it an will make necesary adjustments. But to simply DENY everything....that really gets on my nerves.

We are a free country and do not need to be brainwashed like those in the communist countries where everybody has to follow one ideology. Do not waste public money on such mass scale brainwashing. Even the national service is becoming a brainwashing camp.

PM + DPM + IGP = 1 M(Moron). With people like these running our country, this country is finished.....my dear fellow Malaysians who are supporting BN, please WAKE UP 'cos we are all heading to be doomed.....the future of Malaysia is going to be worst than Cambodia, Indonesia, Africa and other undevelop countries.

Muhiddin, if you want to be a liar - be a goddamn good liar, if you want to con - be a good conman!
Instead beating around the stupid bush you have around you, why don't you just show / present the entire BTN program on TV and let the world judge whether the program is what you claim it is - which it isn't!

Comments and complaints about BTN has been made by so many attendees and yet you are still trying to lie your way out of the issue - that the BTN is an instrument that UMNO has been using to drive a big divide between the Bumis and the Non- Bumis, the rich and (insider) Bumis from the majority poor Bumis.

UMNO and BN has since the "rise" of Mahathir allowed their heads to swell to such ginormous size that they now believe that the Sun rotates around UMNO. UMNO has, if I may say so, grown so arrogant that they have dug their own graves and believe me, the "other Bumis" do not buy your crap any more.

"The writing", as people would say, is on the wall and UMNO/BN is all set for another massive Tsunami that will this time bring the unholy union of UMNO and it's stooge partners down. Inshaallah!