Again, another Barisan Nasional's denial.
The lies, cover-ups and spins. Finally, a 360 roundabout turn. This is the Barisan Nasional's deep-rooted culture of propagating racism and hoodwinking the people until some people brings it into the open. Thanks to Pakatan Rakyat.
Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz insisted today (1st Dec 2009) that the Cabinet wants to overhaul the Biro Tata Negara (BTN), while also admitting the programme had been used to promote certain government leaders.
Nazri revealed that the Cabinet conceded that BTN’s courses were racially divisive. Earlier, a fellow Umno government leader defended the civics course and insisted it would be “upgraded” instead of “revamped.”
Datuk Ahmad Masalan, who is Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, came out defending BTN against allegations by the Pakatan Rakyat that its courses were teaching racial hatred. Nazri said there was no use in Ahmad or other government ministers denying the Cabinet decision.
Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yasin, was the first UMNO leader to take a defensive stand and publicly stated his views on the issue just hours after Nazri made the disclosure. Ahmad was the second Umno minister to come out in defence of BTN despite the revelation by Nazri. Nazri also said that BTN was also used as a programme to “instill confidence among the Malays” in the early days of its establishment but stressed that times have changed and “so must BTN”.
Ahmad said the allegations of racist teaching might have come from a mere “minor slip-up” by BTN lecturers. “Out of the 1,000 lectures given, maybe only one minute the lecturer had a slip-up so it is unfair that you portray BTN as racist just for that,” he said, adding that the allegation is a mere attempt by the Pakatan Rakyat to exploit the issue.
Pakatan Rakyat claims that testimonials by former BTN participants show the course instils ideas like Malay supremacy. Ahmadresponded saying, “They (participants) are taught about the Federal Constitution, the social contract, the position of the Malays in this country and 60 per cent of the population are the bumiputras. Are they racists? These are facts, so are they racists?”
Ahmad also said the government’s decision to “upgrade” BTN is not linked to the Pakatan Rakyat-led Selangor government’s move to ban its civil servants and students within its state-run educational institution from attending BTN courses.
Tell more lies.
Began with a denial and lies.
