KUALA LUMPUR: The National Civics Bureau (BTN) will be abolished in the near future, said Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman.
“We do not want BTN, it will be abolished,” he said during a forum titled “The changed political landscape and the aspirations of the youth” at Sunway University.
He was commenting on the government’s move to shut down BTN that has been drawing flak over the years with allegations that the bureau is being used for indoctrination of racism and bigotry, and only served its political masters.
Touching on a separate matter, the Muar MP said that he was committed to lowering the voting age from 21 to 18 years of age.
“I’m committed to making it happen by this term, Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) term of governance.
“We should not underestimate the wisdom of an 18-year-old and overestimate the wisdom of those above 50,” said Syed Saddiq.
He said as soon as PH makes the announcement to allow 18-year-olds to vote, big incentives would be given to political parties to reach out to this group of voters.
“Young voters are much more open-minded, they are also open to dialogue and forum and keen on a multiracial Malaysia,” he added.
He said, however, that the concept of identifying with a Malaysian identity by the youths could never be achieved if there were no institutional reforms. – Bernama
Get the latest World Cup 2018 scores, highlights and updates from our dedicated news page. CLICK HERE