LETTER | Is resuscitated BTN the panacea for Malaysia?

LETTER | The parliamentary committee on security intends to revive the National Civics Bureau (BTN).

BTN was scrapped in 2018. Now it appears that it has to be brought back to instil patriotism in our youngsters and to groom the right leaders in politics and in society.

Is the BTN really the panacea for the nation's lagging patriotism and unity as well as our hollowed mindsets? Can only BTN help rebuild this once-upon-a-time 'Asian Tiger'?

If it truly is, then why was it scrapped in 2018?

Let the truth be told. The real problem is swirling in the murky pool of politics and education.

When will we ever have the courage and honesty to own up without fear or favour?

Politics here refers to two parasites that do not promise to go away anytime soon.

One is that of corruption which has become an indispensable means to enriching individuals and political parties with power and control through wealth hoarding.

Two, increasingly we are seeing policies that are becoming entrenched and trapped in the dangerous gorges of racial and religious divisiveness and failing to grow in tandem with world views and profound definitions.

Meanwhile, education policies and capabilities have robbed our young of the opportunities and will to aspire and become exemplary citizens.

Children spend between 11 to 13 years of their prime lives going to school - to get educated.

At the end of it all, if you have to depend on several months of BTN just to teach and make or transform them into patriotic and exemplary citizens and to be counted as the next generational leaders, we must either be far too naive or plain foolish.

Despite several leadership changes; despite decades of experimenting with the education policies and systems with patchwork remedies and scheming strategies, are we not still back at square one trying to figure out if Maths and Science should be taught in English or the national language?

Despite inheriting a model, world-class education pathway from the British and missionary schools at the start of gaining independence why were we unable to raise that bar of excellence to prove that Malaysians are capable even more?

Even in educating our future human capital, we allowed racism and religious indoctrination and its accompanying divisiveness to be the vital prescription.

With these two failures - politics and education so deeply rooted, do we expect a revived BTN to be the miracle for ailing Malaysia?

We must be kidding.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.