BTN camp - brainwashing or enlightenment?

Just recently, I went to this camp. Its called Kem Biro Tatanegara(BTN for short). Anyway, before I went to this camp, there are the usual rumours bout this camp, about how it was a brainwashing camp, how it was to ensure that the scholars sent there would return to their country... even my aunty said repeatedly, "you must come back to Malaysia..." to imply the purpose of the camp... ish ish~ this just portrays the image that the camp has on the public.

So, with a heavy heart, I went to the camp, expecting to be drilled the things that everyone has said... about having to come back to Malaysia. I expected threats, saying that if I don't come back, they'll hunt down every family member known to me. However, this wasn't the case. During the 5 days, 4 nights camp, all we did was learn more about the country, about the constitution, about ourselves as Malaysians... This was not what I expected and therefore came as a huge shock to me.

During the whole camp, all was not prison-like, although the absence of handphone networks did make it seem like that. We were, as they said cut off from the outside world, but soon, I found out that there wouldn't be time for us to connect to the outside world as all of us were kept busy with work. Work here doesn't mean manual labour but we had to study! Or so it seems because on the final day, we had a test and those who have studied will tell that it is actually quite pointless to study. Haih~ all the times spent poring over books which should have been spent for sleep...

But to tell the truth, this camp is not that bad. The 'agenda' that we thought this camp had was all just a misunderstanding. There was no such thing as brainwashing, but I prefer to call it enlightning, because all this camp ever did to me was make me realize how important it is to safeguard our country, to uphold her 'kedaulatan'. Finally, it dawned on me the importance of sending our scholars to this camp. It was not to force them into coming back to Malaysia, it was to make them think for themselves, whether or not they want to come back to Malaysia... because it is after all, the scholars choice to return isn't it?

So I guess I'm all for this camp thingy, even though I wasn't at first. Now, I end my thoughts with this simple saying,

"He who does not have a light, can still see in the dark, as the light in his heart, will shine through always..."