The Selangor government is planning to introduce its own nation-building courses to replace the controversial federal government-run Biro Tata Negara (BTN), or National Civics Bureau, which has been banned in the state recently

Speaking at the sidelines of news portal Malaysiakini's 10th year anniversary dinner last night, Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim said that the idea was forwarded by all Pakatan Rakyat-led states.

khalid ibrahim at selangor pkr convention 15112009 "The idea has been mooted by a few members from executive councillor (exco) from these respective states, but it has not been formalised," he said.

According to him, the other three Pakatan states (Kedah, Kelantan and Penang) were also following the heels of the Selangor administration to bar its students and civil servants from attending BTN courses.

"The idea (of our own BTN courses) has been mooted but we have to make sure that we have the capabilities of handling it... (but) we must have the forum and the place if we want to (have it replaced)," said Abdul Khalid.

BTN, an agency under the Prime Minister's Department, is aimed to nurture the spirit of patriotism and commitment to excellence among the people and has been in action for decades.

However, it came under heavy scrutiny when Pakatan youth leaders in Selangor urged the state government to impose a ban on it, claiming that it has become a tool to spread "BN/Umno political ideology and racial politics".

Following this, the state government decided earlier this week to ban its students, civil servants and employees in state subsidiaries from attending the BTN courses.

‘We are not opposing it altogether'

The bold move taken by the state government however received heavy criticisms from the federal government which described the courses to be in line with its 1Malaysia concept.

Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin also said that the public and employees from private companies should not be stopped from attending courses organised by the government's agency.

Abdul Khalid nonetheless said last night that the state government ‘is not opposing (the courses altogether), because certain percentages (of it) are very good'.

"Some of the courses taught us how to be good Malaysians and how to promote our country and some are okay. But some are tilted to more political and racial bias," he said.

He also said that there was "a certain level of bias in terms of deliberation on how to be very civil in Malaysia".

"Even the students who came back from the courses said that it doesn't look very open-minded in national aspect," claimed the menteri besar.