Anwar defends his views in leaked BTN video

By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 14 — Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim stood by his views contained in a leaked video of the National Civics Bureau (BTN) which was made available in Umno-owned blogs, saying its courses have gotten worse now.
A video dated in the early 1990s, shows Anwar (picture) defending Malays' special privileges and saying these rights should not be questioned by non-Malays.
“In the historical context during our agreement in 1957, we gave citizenship to the immigrants (pendatang). Since we have given them (immigrants) citizenship, the question of the Malay’s special privileges should not arise,” he said in a video-taped BTN session.
The opposition leader and former deputy prime minister says he has nothing to hide and blames BTN for leaking the videos.
“I don't have any problems with that because I know (of it).
“I would anticipate that BTN in its crooked ways will not dare release all the videos of all the speeches. So what they would do is selective and will quote out of context and release," he told reporters in the Parliament lobby today.
“I will defend my position. That was the position then as I know as Umno vice-president or deputy-president, it has gotten worse since 98, this selective release is actually by BTN because they don't have the courage to deal and face (it) head on. So they leaked to Umno bloggers,” he added.
Anwar also challenged BTN to release videos of other Umno leaders in the civics course.
“If they have the courage, they should release all of the speeches. I want to hear the speeches of all the leaders including mine. They would not do this because this is typical BTN methods of cowards,” he added.
BTN has come under public scrutiny recently after Pakatan Rakyat-ruled Selangor prohibited state civil servants and students in state-owned institutions of higher education from attending its courses, claiming that they were indoctrination camps by the Barisan Nasional government — aimed at brainwashing Malaysians to hate opposition parties.
PR leaders and former participants have also claimed that the courses were racist and emphasised the idea of Malay supremacy.