Divisive BTN the greatest obstacle to national unity: Kit Siang

PETALING JAYA: The National Civics Bureau (BTN) has degenerated into a propaganda machine to brainwash civil servants and youngsters, and it has no place in a new Malaysia, DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang (pix) said today.
He called it the greatest obstacle to national unity. The BTN's indoctrination of racism, bigotry, intolerance and extremism had led to the desperado politics of fear, hate, lies, race and religion of Umno/Barisan Nasional (BN) in the 14th General Election, he said.
"It is no exaggeration to say that never before in previous 13 general elections since 1959 had the country seen such intensity and viciousness in the politics of fear, hate, lies, race and religion as in the GE14," said the Iskandar Puteri MP.
"It reflects the racism, bigotry, intolerance and extremism which had been the staple diet of BTN, to pit race against race and religion against religion instead of promoting the Malaysian dream of a plural nation of diverse races, religions, cultures and languages.
"From a bureau which should be dedicated to promoting national civic consciousness in a plural society, the BTN degenerated over time into a propaganda outfit to brainwash civil servants and youngsters into mindless defenders of the Umno/BN regime."
Lim said those responsible for BTN were blissfully unaware of the five principles of the Rukunegara and were the greatest opponents of it, resulting in the BTN becoming the greatest obstacle to national unity.
"It is most timely that the government is studying whether to abolish the BTN as it has only served the petty partisan Umno/BN interests and failed to serve the national interest," he said.