Those who go for BTN courses love it, says Shahrizat

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 28 — Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil said the patriotic spirit instilled in the Biro Tata Negara (BTN) course was for all and not just for federal government supporters.

Shahrizat said it was not justified to be apprehensive of the content of the BTN course as the people loved the 1 Malaysia concept.

On Wednesday, the Selangor state executive councillor for Education, Higher Education and Human Capital Development Committee, Dr Halimah Ali said that Selangor state staff and students of its state-owned institutions were barred from attending BTN courses with immediate effect.

The step was taken as it was perceived that the course was an indoctrination process by the Barisan Nasional (BN) created to allegedly draw up racist phenomena, divide races, caused religious tension and provoke hatred of the opposition.

Shahrizat said based on her experience when attending the BTN course there was no racial content.

“The Selangor state government is just making a big issue. I have attended the course and it is all about positive thinking, patriotism and nothing to do with racialism,” she told reporters at a Hari Raya Aidiladha function organised by the Wanita Umno Kepong Division here today.

Meanwhile, Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Noh Omar said the decision by the Selangor state government to bar state employees and students of state-owned institutions of higher education from attending BTN courses was politically charged.

Noh, who is also the Selangor Umno deputy liaison chairman and an Umno supreme council member, said the opposition brought up new issues to deflect their weaknesses.

“Like in Selangor one issue that they raise was their internal issues so that people forget the opposition’s promises in the past general election,” he told reporters after officiating the “Program Korban Perdana Jempol 2009” sponsored by the Jempol Umno Division and the Negri Sembilan Tourism Action Council, at the public field of Raja Alias 2, near here.

Commenting on DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang’s call that the BTN be stopped, Noh said that Lim’s call was as being of a “blind man”.

“Just like a blind man who does not know of what he does not see. How can Kit Siang talk of the BTN course when he has never attended it?” Noh said. — Bernama

 

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