BTN : MORE THAN PATRIOTISM

I thought of taking a break from reading the many fitnah circulating amidst the blogs to prepare an important outstation business meeting tomorrow but then when I noticed this article “Thumbs up - or thumbs down for Biro Tata Negara” with several references to my earlier article, I just have to quickly clarify my stand.

1. An avenue for indoctrination and brainwashing.

Be practical, can a 3-4 day course effectively indoctrinate or brainwash a person? Let’s look at the time spent at the program - if you minus the time for pre-mobilization (i e registration and program briefing and getting to now each other), physical exercise (morning exercises, evening runs), makan & break time (where most participants chat about many other matters of mutual interest rather than the purpose of the program), group photo time – in all perhaps, effectively not more than 2 days for ‘indoctrination/ brain washing’, that also if the participants were really paying attention. My definition of ‘brainwashing’ is like in the movies ‘the Manchurian Candidate’ or “Bourne Ultimatum”. If indeed the 3-4 day program was successful in its techniques of brainwashing and indoctrinating, I am sure the program would have been copied and its educators recruited handsomely by the CIA/ FBI/ NSA and its other associated agencies for their counter intelligence efforts.

Those who frequent attending meetings or forums should be aware that after a while perhaps after an hour or so, the attendees would start to loose focus and there after one’s absorption capacity reduces tremendously. Compound that with the weariness and fatigue from coming all the way to the program, sleeping on unfamiliar beds and getting use to its unfamiliar environment. In other words the normal human brain can only take so much and so the effectiveness of the BTN program as a brainwashing and indoctrination technique is doubtful. To most participants, I would believe the program serves more of a reminder.

2. To sit in Dr Azly’s class to enrich the experience of his American students studying Cross Cultural Perspectives?

Without any disrespect, I rather not. About 3 years ago, at the Los Angeles airport I was stopped immediately after the airport’s security check point on my way back to Malaysia. I was asked to sit on the floor and then spread my legs. My Japanese sleepers (which I had to use because of a foot injury) had to be removed too. A big burly officer had the scanner went through all over me for the second time within a space of 10 minutes. Having found nothing, the officer smiled at me and said thank you. My two other Chinese associates accompanying me were not subjected to such scanning. And I replied to the officer “Oh, sama-sama” and walked away feeling pissed off.

The US, due to its own doing, is a Nation living in fear. The citizens are so scared of Death and Security and their true god appears to their allegiance to the Flag and National Anthem. The culture and the make up of the cosmopolitan population of the US are not similar to ours, so are its economic structure, ownership and political framework. The US has its own set of racial problems or cross cultural issues. Some factors I believe could be similar but overall the problems are distinctly different than ours. Perhaps the institutions enlisted Dr. Azly’s help because they are not able to understand or cope with the strong undercurrents of racism brewing and well hidden from public eye. The US sees it critically important in portraying its image as the lead country for Liberty and Freedom to the entire world.

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Why do you think the film “Crash” became popular or that Barack Obama got much of the Black votes – don’t these reflect the true racial undercurrents of US society?

3. Changing of mind set

The difference between “indoctrination” and “education” is relative and subjective but the effect is either to change or enforce a certain mindset or value. I would like to list below situations that have successfully impacted mindsets and values

- i) Those who everyday or often watch TV programs. Those movies or programs imported from Hollywood, Bollywood, and Hong Kong or elsewhere have some persistent message or values both open and hidden to be transmitted. The mind of the viewers is being consistently and perpetually barraged, addicted, “corrupted” as they watched these shows over and over again. Eventually after a while, they become accepted or adjusted (after the effects of being indoctrinated, educated and influenced) with such lifestyle and values which were once totally alien to them.

- ii) The Iraq War - Look at the impact of the biasness of International Press/ Media and their skewed and selective reporting about Iraq having weapons of mass destruction prior to the start of the war. The propaganda machinery of the United States and its allies were amassed to convince the world that war was necessary against an evil dictator. This propaganda to educate/ indoctrinate the populace was not a 3-4 day program. The psychological preparation was started well in advance to ‘brainwash, indoctrinate and educate’ the US public to endorse the President to go to war and consequently when the time came, the majority population of the United States did voted for the war. Now after 5 years what happened and is still happening in Iraq under the doctrine of Greater Freedom and Liberty? Is the US public still positive about the war?

- iii) The issue of collateral damage. Both the western media’s skewed reporting and the many exciting action movies have made many of the viewers accept that collateral damage is an acceptable consequence of war and so the killing of the numerous innocent Iraqis or the Palestinians perpetuates with little resistance from the public. Thus the world keeps numb as the people and the nations of Iraq & Palestine continues to face annihilation

There are plentiful of examples but I believe it does suffice to leave at these 3 examples.

Coming back to BTN, is it that easy to change his or her mindset meaning, do one expect after attending a one off 3-4 day program can really change one’s mind set build over so many years? Is such easy change consistent with the Theory and Practice of Behavioral Science/ Human Psychology found in the Masters Program?

4. “Ketuanan Melayu works only for Malay robber barons who wish to plunder the nation by silencing the masses and using the ideological state apparatuses at their disposal. In the case of the BTN it is the work of controlling the minds of the youth”

The concept of Ketuanan Melayu works well for me – I am not a Malay baron and I don’t think I ever plundered the nation. I have always worked in the private sector, not a member of any political party. Well, when one is power, one uses whatever resources it pleases. I see the potential benefits of BTN to my siblings so I have no qualms.

5. Can BTN actually control the minds of the youth? I doubt so, especially for a 3-4 day course; the youth now-days are much, much smarter compared to our days perhaps because they are more exposed at a much younger age. In parenting these youths/ teenagers today, can the same methodology used by our parents on us be applied? In some situations yes but try that on many others, the chances are that the teenagers will likely keep a distance away and show their one or two fingers; these teenagers can form their own mind set without being told, be they from any DNA.

Just to digress a little, I have a son, the youngest of my family, who loves his PSP2. I was very concern that he was spending too much time on the gadget rather than studying for his UPSR exams due this year. However his school results have not been too bad even though he has that PSP2 habit and misses quite a number of schooling days because of his asthma problem. However, my son always scored among the best in his school for English. His secret: the PSP2 (prior to that an X-Box). And so when he wants to change some new PSP2 games which cost RM5 each, I normally obliged hoping that the PSP2 and new games will further improve his command of the English language as well as give him some perspectives of the opportunities out there.

The environment during my/ our time was different, TV was then black and white and that was only TV1 channel, now there are so many channels including Astro. Electronic gadgets and games were non existence. I became computer literate only after past 40 years old and that also not fully competent; the Starbucks lifestyle was also non existence. All my family members have long migrated to the cities from our kampong. Time’s change, mate, time’s have really changed – the dangers and opportunities are vastly different from before, particularly because of globalization.

But how does each of us, GOD CREATED INDIVIDUALS, prepare our kids for the future and what values do each of us want to bequest onto them? It is always a question of CHOICE and for us (ordinary) Muslims, we have to make that choice at every second of our daily lives for which we are continuously tested. Bear in mind I do not have a kampong anymore and the environment of kampong Melayu is not available for my growing children. Yet I still value the positive attributes of learning or being reminded of the history, roots and culture of a Melayu Muslim DNA. If BTN can give a little of those to my children, why not? I can evaluate what I should assimilate and I am sure my teenage children are resilient to do the same when the time comes. The moment I tell my children “cannot do this or that or do this way and not that way lah’ without any choice or good reasons, for example, don’t go to national service or a BTN program because they are brainwashing programs, then I would have failed in my duty as a parent; I have closed their minds to the simplest of challenges.

6. “Special rights for all Malaysians” and "special rights of a few Malays" - I wish not to deliberate with Dr Azly on these issues for our values may differ by the oceans apart. Perhaps it’s best that the decision be put to the polls for the Silent Majority to decide.

7. For Natural DNA- Almighty made us of ‘different race, color, creed, class, and national origin’ so that ‘we know each other’ and submits to His will; that’s my opinion. With that He gave me my natural DNA, a DNA which I (we) should be naturally proud of. I do not see the need for my DNA to be synthetically changed to be a “Bionic Man or Woman” or an X-men. Like many others with natural DNA, I have worked hard; working from scratch to become what I am. It’s a human jungle out there with a lot of vicious “animals” lurking around disguised in the form of men. As an ordinary citizen, I have obligations, responsibilities and am accountable to my wife, my children, my extended family, my multi racial and religious country and friends, to my surau, to my race, business, etc, etc and of course to myself and ultimately to Almighty. I am being reasonable in realizing I have limitations to what I can achieve, I do not want to reach the “impossible dream”; Almighty knows what’s best for me. The rest I leave to Faith. If others wish to chase the impossible dream, it is their choice; the people know what’s best for them.

8. As per my earlier article “The programs themselves are beneficial for the Malays within the context of Ketuanan Melayu. As to the organization itself, it's just natural for the organizers to want the programs to achieve as many aims as possible. Of course some educators are better than others in their approach and communication skills. For me and I believe too for most participants, we are matured enough to make up our own mind on what's good or bad, what's reasonable, illogical, unreasonable or fictitious; we take from the program what we like and discard those we think are rubbish and as we reflect, we move on in life searching for the manifold bounties out there.

- I) My definition of Ketuanan Melayu is as follows

“Ketuanan Melayu or Malay Supremacy in this context means that political powers reside with the Malays. Thus the Malays with its special rights enshrined in the constitution, is expected to take the lead in governing the country while safeguarding the interests and well being of all communities as has been the case since Independence. KETUANAN MELAYU IS NEVER MEANT TO BELITTLE THE OTHER RACES THAT THE MALAYS ARE SUPERIOR TO THEM. Ketuanan Melayu is meant to pride the Malays to stand on equal platform with other races of the world. The call for Ketuanan Melayu is usually to remind the Malays to be united in protecting their roots, culture and history”.

There are many who will disagree while others will agree about the essence of the above paragraph. It is not within the scope of this reply to deliberate on such sensitive matter; there are many others who are more knowledgeable or competent on the subject.

- II) Yes the data, figures and facts presented at the BTN program could be ‘haprak’, prejudiced and skewed.

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How much reliance did I put on them? Did I showed them to my friends and family after I’ve finished my program to make a big fuss about my “discoveries” or did I store them up in my own library? Even today I have yet to frame up the group photograph taken at that program because it was not a priority and subsequently forgotten.

These facts, data and figures (even if there is 10% -25% variation) merely confirms a part of the truth or perception out there. Even if one doesn’t attend a BTN program, one could have already more than sense it unless one is so blind. It is for anyone to interpret the facts and numbers irrespective of what the presenter or educator insists.

Bahtera Negara

Do I still remember the lyrics of the song of Bahtera Merdeka, unfortunately no because I never encountered the necessity to sing that song again. Neither do I sing the Negara Ku unless specially requested at the functions The Bahtera Medeka was sung for its purpose for that BTN occasion and then zapped, it is forgotten, and so what’s the big fuss about the song? I wonder if that song is found in the Karaoke list but there are many other songs I love to hear or sing which reminisces of some special memories of my past like “I will survive” by Gloria Gaynor or “BBC (Benci Bilang Cinta)” by Radja.

Opportunities

There are always those who may want to capitalize on opportunities arising from such programs (as there are always those who will never be satisfied with anything). How many? I think most of us had to rush back to work, ‘pronto’; a lot could be outstanding needing urgent attention and I am the bread winner for my family.

Hate Non Malays

Definitely during the program I was never educated or indoctrinated to hate the non Malays. Again to me the essence of the program is to remind me of the roots, culture and history of my natural DNA. I appreciate I have to survive in this lovely and blessed country of ours in mutual cooperation and understanding with the other races. So even if the educators did try to instill racial hatred during my program, I never captured it; it’s pure nonsense.

III) CHOICE based on each accepted values and perception.

I have attended many courses or programs where there are good and lousy educators or presenters. Here again is a question of perception and values. I may give high marks for one person based his presentation, methodology and on my understanding of the subject matter while another person may give the opposite views based on his value judgment. If I need to ask questions I ask them. If I don’t need to, don’t force me. Sometimes when people ask ridiculous questions, they do look and sound damned stupid. So sitting down and listening quietly and patiently doesn’t necessarily mean one is docile, it’s just an issue of absolute freedom of CHOICE based on each accepted values and perception.

IV) Of the "spirit of multiculturalism " and the "beauty of intellectual freedom"

“Many overseas trained and have tasted the "spirit of multiculturalism " and the "beauty of intellectual freedom" in their classrooms abroad -- who ought to have engineered a paradigm shift to help dismantle indoctrination agencies such as Biro Tata Negara”

As a matured student, I attended an 11 months’ Masters of Business Administration Program at a respected business school in London many years ago and unfortunately I do not see the urgency of such paradigm shift advocated and referred to by Encik Azly. I went there on a loan scholarship to specifically study and not to be a “kay poh chee”. After a while working, I fully paid off the loan amount.

With high crime rates among the blacks and campus shootings in US what had happen to the "spirit of multi-culturalism" and the "beauty of intellectual freedom" in the class rooms board. While in this country we do have such spirits and beauties, I am happy that my children are ‘safe’.

Let our education system evolve organically rather that adopting wholesale from the US system.

We should not adhere to any latent attempt by The Foundation for the Future in supporting the people of the countries of the Middle East and North Africa in their efforts to advance and strengthen freedom and democratic trends and practices.

Note: Besides the 3- 4 days BTN program, I understand that have special courses for secondary school children where the emphasis is on discipline and self development, instilling of Islamic values like love for parents honesty, leadership etc. There are no special slots to inculcate hatred against other races.

Being more than patriotic.

Do anyone truly and honesty believe with utmost certainty that the shortfalls and ills that we find in our education system today can be solely attributed to the role played by BTN and their band of lousy trainers or for that matter any particular specific factor? Is there anyone out there dares to admit that the causes are so numerous, some of which so complicated nor cannot be resolved by mere generalizations of theories yet to proven conclusive. Looks like BTN has played its role of being more than patriotic.

THAT I HOPE CLARIFIES WHY I GAVE THUMBS UP FOR BTN.

End