KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 17 ― Deputy National Unity Minister Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal today said there is no proposal to reinstate the Biro Tata Negara (BTN) or National Civics Bureau programme at the federal level for the time being.
Wan Fayhsal was replying to Muar MP Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman’s question on if the government has plans to reinstate the programme.
“During the Pakatan Harapan administration, the BTN was brought into the Ministry of Youth and Sports portfolio and was abolished in terms of its name.
“We have improved in terms of more comprehensive patriotism through Rukunegara schools and various leadership programmes that the Muar MP has led before. There is no proposal at the government level at the moment,” he said.
Last year, the government said it would introduce a programme aimed at inculcating the spirit of patriotism among Malaysians to replace the National Service Training Programme (PLKN) and the National Civics Bureau (BTN), which were abolished by the previous government.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Special Functions) Datuk Seri Mohd Redzuan Yusof said the structure for the proposed programme was being finalised and would be tabled to the Cabinet soon.
Both programmes had been abolished under Syed Saddiq in 2018, following accusations of racial supremacist and propaganda content in their implementation.
Despite denials by the government and the agency, sporadic leaks of closed-door events conducted by the BTN or featuring its staff have continued to entrench suspicions that the bureau was a hotbed of racism and “brainwashing”.
