National Civics Bureau
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1981 |
| Dissolved | 2018 |
| Type | Promotion of "patriotism and nationalism" |
| Jurisdiction | Government of Malaysia |
| Website | www.btn.gov.my (archive) |
The National Civics Bureau (Malay: Biro Tatanegara), abbreviated BTN, was an agency under the Prime Minister's Department of Malaysia during the governance of Barisan Nasional (BN).
The BTN was established in 1974 as the Youth Research Unit (Unit Penyelidikan Belia) under the Youth Ministry, but was renamed and transferred in 1981. Its stated objective was to "nurture the spirit of patriotism and commitment to excellence among Malaysians, and train leaders and future leaders to support the nation's development efforts". Its programmes were controversial and accused of explicitly promoting Ketuanan Melayu (Malay supremacy) and BN.
On 25 November 2009, the Selangor state government issued a ban prohibiting state civil servants, employees of state subsidiaries, and students at state-owned institutions from attending BTN courses. On 2 December 2009, the Penang state government followed suit, banning all state civil servants from attending said courses.
During the 2018 general election, opposition coalition Pakatan Harapan (PH) defeated BN. On 13 August, Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq announced that the BTN and National Service Training Programme (PLKN) had been abolished.