Non-governmental organisation Negara-Ku patron Ambiga Sreenevasan has been challenged by Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Razali Ibrahim to submit proof that National Civics Bureau (BTN) instils racism and bigotry in its courses.

Razali said that it is not fair of Ambiga to accuse BTN with such a claim when she has never attended any of the courses sponsored by the agency, Malay daily Berita Harian reported today.

Speaking at the 4th National Conference on Non-Discrimination in Kuala Lumpur on Sept 30, Ambiga said Malays attending the BTN camps were still being brainwashed into becoming bigots.

Ambiga ( left ), a former Bar Council president, went on to compare the speech on unity Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak made in the United Nations to what was actually happening in Malaysia.

"How can the government talk – how can the prime minister make the speech that he does in the UN, while at home you have BTN that is feeding extremist statements to our children?" she asked.

"It's brainwashing. How do you deal with this brainwashing? You've got to stop it," added Ambiga.

She also said that she has seen articles and reports online by Malays who are "disgusted by what they are told by the agency" and who condemned BTN and its courses.

Referring to Ambiga's speech, Razali ( right ) said the participants would not be silent on the issue if BTN's courses tried to sow and instil anything other than patriotism and nationalism.

"In fact, the responses have shown that the participants are satisfied with the modules.

"They say that the courses are capable of turning them into a better citizens," he said countering Ambiga's claims.

Razali also suggested that Ambiga attends a BTN course before coming up with a rash statement that has caused distress, especially upon the BTN's Malay staff.

He stressed that the BTN courses also focused on non-Malays and on students who have received government scholarships to study abroad.

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