BTN was an agency under the Prime Minister’s Department established to instil patriotism and nationalism among the civil service and university students. — Reuters pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 6 — The controversial National Civics Bureau (BTN) will not be abolished but fine-tuned and rebranded, the government said today.

During the winding up of the Royal Address in Dewan Rakyat today, Deputy Minister in Prime Minister’s Department Mohamed Farid Md Rafik promised to rebrand and fine-tune BTN.

“In line with the political changes, BTN’s module and curricular will be fine-tuned and it is being rebranded with emphasis on good values while going back to its original duties and objectives,” Mohamed Farid said.

However, DAP lawmakers RSN Rayer (Jelutong) and Kasthuriraani Patto (Batu Kawan) challenged Mohamed Farid’s defence, saying that the abolishment of BTN was among the promises that Pakatan Harapan (PH) made during the 14th general election which led them to victory.

“Originally, BTN was an agency under the Prime Minister’s Department to instil patriotism and nationalism among the civil service and university students. But now, it has become a bad agency which used its entire budget to promote racism, accusing DAP of being a racist party.

“It was evident that BTN was abused by its BN administrators and there is no guarantee that BTN won’t be abused this time. We saw how it started and how it ended up,” the Batu Kawan MP said.

“We don’t need an agency to educate civil servants to love their country, to love other Malaysians... it is in Rukun Negara not to discriminate.

“We don’t need this redundant agency in the Prime Minister’s Department, which is being paid for by taxpayers, when you have Rukun Negara,” Kasthuriraani added.

Mohamed Farid was originally asked about Sessions Court judges who were asked to attend BTN courses just before the 14th general election.

He stood his ground on both accounts, saying that even a Sessions Court judge is a civil servant and must adhere to government instructions, while reiterating that BTN is not the same as it once was.

“Is that your assurance? That this is the new BTN, the new Pakatan Harapan BTN which is free from corruption, free from racism and has good values to strengthen ties of unity and will follow the law?” Rayer sarcastically asked Mohamed Farid but his question was left unanswered.