N Surendran, adviser to the Lawyers for Liberty group, questioned whether the course had anything to do with the judges’ professional training and work.
He said in a statement that LFL had been given a copy of written instructions from the Chief Registrar’s office to attend a course on “Latihan Transformasi Negara” on March 16 in Kuala Lumpur.
Surendran said the Chief Registrar, Latifah Mohd Tahar, should explain the purpose of the course, and whether BTN officials continue to have a hand in training of lower court judges.
“There must be an immediate review and termination of all ongoing training programmes, courses, modules or directions which interfere with or have the potential to compromise the independence of our judiciary,” Surendran said.
BTN has come under severe criticism from opposition politicians and activists over the years for being an indoctrination and propaganda tool for Barisan Nasional and Umno’s racial and religious policies.
Earlier this month, Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman said BTN would be abolished by the new Pakatan Harapan government and that an announcement would be made soon.
Surendran, a former MP, said the letter was further evidence of the previous government’s tampering with the independence of the judiciary.