KL patriotism camps ‘racist and political’

“Participants are indoctrinated with propaganda about ‘Ketuanan Melayu’ (Malay supremacy) and external threats,” he said.

THE MALAYSIAN INSIDER

When Hafidz Baharom, a freelance writer, entered a public university in 2002, he was sent with his classmates to a government camp for a week.

It was the usual jungle trekking and other team-building activities, but interspersed with these were lectures. Some of the content was disturbing, he said.

“We were taught a song with lyrics like ‘the land that you walk upon is owned by others. Lecturers told us the Malays were forced to depend on the Chinese for support after 1998 because some Malays had betrayed their own race,” he recalled.

The segment on Malay betrayal was in reference to the 1998 sacking of deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim which caused many Malays to vote for the opposition in the general election a year later. “It was brainwashing propaganda,” Hafidz, 26, told The Straits Times.

These courses have been running for years, and are intended to instil nationalistic values and patriotism. Conducted by the National Civics Bureau — better known as BTN (Biro Tatanegara) — the courses are for university students on public scholarships and civil servants. BTN is under the Prime Minister’s Department.

Last week, seven young Pakatan Rakyat Selangor assemblymen handed over a letter to the Selangor government, urging it to stop allowing students of state- owned universities and colleges to attend these courses.

The Selangor government, which is now controlled by the opposition Pakatan Rakyat, owns three universities and colleges.

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