Pakatan, don't develop your brand of BTN indoctrination

Malaysiakini - S'gor moots programme to replace BTN!

Khalid Ibrahim claims all PR-ruled states, starting with Selangor, plan to introduce its own nation-building courses to replace those conducted by the Biro Tata Negara (BTN), or National Civics Bureau.

The BTN federal programs have been reported to be nothing more than a series of racist indoctrination where Malays have been taught to develop a siege mentality, and as an example of its racist indoctrination, to view Chinese Malaysians suspiciously as the hated Jews.

BTN was conceived during Dr Mahathir’s time, supposedly to instill the sterling values of patriotism and a sense of civic consciousness, but in reality to also provide the Malays with a sense of self worth and confidence in themselves.

As PM Dr Mahathir was driven principally by two objectives, namely: (1) to raise Malaysia to 1st World status on par with other leading nations of the world, particularly that red dot just south of us, and (2) to endow the Malays with a sense of self worth, confidence in their own ability and pride in themselves and their work.

His promotion of Malaysia being the 'biggest', 'tallest', 'longest', 'highest' this and that, including adventure forays to the extremities of our planet has been part of this confidence building measures - needless to say, some exploited his promotion campiagn for their own benefits.

Perhaps he might have other national objectives but I believe these two were his main focus, perhaps even his obsessions, his life missions.

Apart from instilling patriotism and civic consciousness for all participants of its programs, BTN was supposed to help achieve the second.

As always, his good intentions were betrayed by his incompetent staff who went off at a tangent. They reduced the program down to their own gutter level and corrupt the second objective as one to badmouth non-Malays rather than elevate the confidence of Malays. In their own miserable minds they equate a program of racist propaganda as an act of promoting ethnic pride.

This indoctrination bull about patriotism has a way of being corrupted into sinister deviation, so I don’t support the PR state governments as well in developing any nation building course, because the PR people may well fall into the same mental trap, given the invincible hatred some have for anything and all things BN.

Why the hell do we need nation building courses? Are we saying that as Malaysians we don't love Malaysia? Remember, UMNO (or BN) is NOT Malaysia! We, the rakyat, are Malaysia! So ... why should we need nation building courses?

We’re better off promoting stuff such as ‘equity & diversity’ courses, namely, promote the concept of equality and diversity and stop discrimination, bullying and harassment.

It’s not just confine to ethnic diversity or anti-racial discrimination, though most Malaysians would probably think I’m proposing that. It’s far more than just ‘race’, a factor we Malaysians are already far too well acquainted with.

I’m talking as well on gender, age, religious and political beliefs, health (HIV-AID or pregnancy), physical and mental disadvantages, family backgrounds, and a whole lot of factors which lend themselves to discrimination, bias and prejudice.

That would be far superior to the bull on nation building. In promoting ‘equity & diversity’ I believe we will be on better footing to develop a more enlightened citizenry and thus a better nation.

I hope the governments of the PR-ruled states would consider my proposal.