Umno Youth exco defends BTN courses for students

Umno Youth exco member Tun Faisal Ismail Aziz has defended the controversial National Civics Bureau (BTN) programme, describing it as a good platform for university students to express contarian views.

Speaking at a forum on student political involvement in Shah Alam yesterday, Tun Faisal (right) said he and his peers were able to criticise government policies during their time at Universiti Sains Malaysia in the early 1990s.

"We were among the critical students at the time. Our favourite platform was the BTN courses. We wanted to test who were more provocative - BTN officers or us," he said.

Tun Faisal, who heads Umno's new media unit, said students should follow his lead and challenge government ideas during BTN courses, which have been criticised by many as an indoctrination programme.

"This is where government policies are explained to doubtful students. Thus, this is the venue for us to be critical. It doesn't matter whether we are labeled as 'opposition' or not," he said.

When in power, Pakatan will use BTN too

His views were shared by another speaker, Azmi Hassan, who lectures at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.

"If the federal government wants to have BTN, let them. That is the right of the government. But students can think of themselves," he said.

Azmi (right) argued that should Pakatan Rakyat take Putrajaya, it would use BTN to their advantage as well.

"Don't link BTN to the ruling party. It is linked to the government of the day. BTN explains the policies of the government of the day.

Other speakers at the forum include PKR communications director Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, deputy Malaysia Youth Council deputy president Muammar Ghadafi Jamal and Gabungan Mahasiswa Islam Semenanjung (Gamis) president Azan Safar.