Kelantan joins boycott of BTN courses

(Bernama) – The Kelantan government has joined Selangor and Penang in not sending its civil servants for the Biro Tata Negara (National Civics Bureau or BTN) courses. 

Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat said today he objected to sending state civil servants for courses organised by BTN so long as the curriculum was not changed in accordance with Islam.

He said Kelantan, together with the other two Pakatan Rakyat-led states, had agreed not to send its officers for the BTN courses. “If Selangor rejects, Penang rejects, there’s no reason for me to send (the civil servants),” he told a news conference here.

However, he did not propose to ban his officers from joining the courses.

Last week, the Selangor government banned its civil servants and students of tertiary institutions from attending the BTN courses and Penang followed suit with a ban on its civil servants on grounds that the courses were used to spread the Barisan Nasional propaganda.