KUALA LUMPUR, June 17 ― Putrajaya must disband the National Civics Bureau (BTN) over its tendency to promote divisive and seditious views, a DAP youth leader said today after the agency’s internal slides espousing racism and tarring “anti-establishment” groups were discovered online.
DAP Socialist Youth national executive member Dyana Sofya claimed that it is clear that a government agency is being used to push propaganda of ruling party Barisan Nasional (BN) by “brainwashing” the civil servants and university students into believing that the opposition and other groups are bent on dividing the Malays.
“The National Civics Bureau blatantly does not respect democratic rights, instills racism and hatred, and brings about negative consequences on the public sector and unity among Malaysians,” she said in a statement.
Dyana asserted that it is common knowledge that racial and religious issues have for years been used as tools to boost support for BN, and this was proven by the discovery of the slides on the agency's own website two days ago.
She claimed that even Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin had admitted in March last year that BTN courses encourage participants to blindly support the government and that he called for a revamp of the course curriculum.
“Even after the minister made this proposal over a year ago, it is clear BTN did not make any amendments and instead continues to throw allegations and conduct brainwashing activities using new material.
“Isn't the National Civics Bureau's aim to instill a strong nation and people? But the proof found on its own website shows that BTN is working towards destroying the country and its people by throwing allegations and stirring anger and hatred among Malaysians,” she said.
On Monday, BTN took down a folder on its website containing several presentation slides that were ridiculed by Malaysians online.
Some of the slides described independent book publishers as masterminds of an “anti-establishment” movement to influence youths voting in the 14th general election.
Another set of slides claimed that racism can unite a race for a “good purpose”, but has instead received a “negative connotation” as the idea is being used by certain parties to achieve their political goals and topple the government.
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”.
A senior BTN official caused an uproar back in 2010 when word leaked that he had used the terms “si mata sepet” and “si botol” at a closed-door Puteri Umno gathering to describe the Chinese and Indians respectively.
The terms are considered derogatory with “si mata sepet” meaning slit-eyed and “si botol”, alcoholic, in Malay.
