Setiawangsa MP Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad wants Putrajaya to abandon plans to rebrand the National Civics Bureau (BTN) and stick to its promise to abolish the outfit.

He said a body like the BTN, which seeks in effect to control thoughts of Malaysians, does not belong in the 21st century.

"Whether BTN promotes the ideals of BN or Pakatan Harapan, it still goes against the norms of a modern democratic state," Nik Nazmi said in a statement today.

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Md Farid Md Rafik had on Monday said the BTN will be rebranded to promote national unity.

Nik Nazmi does not doubt Farid's belief that this can be done, but said "similar promises have been made in the past without any impact."

The PKR lawmaker said abolishing BTN would not infringe on anyone's rights or interests, and that its staff can be transferred to other government bodies.

"All that matters is whether the government has the political will to do so or not.

"Malaysians are watching the government’s every move and their estimation of it will rise or fall on how it performs in implementing its election promises.

"The BTN must be abolished, full stop," he said.

Promise 28 of Pakatan Harapan's manifesto states that Putrajaya "will dissolve the National Civics Bureau, which over the years actively become a cheap political agent for Umno".

The BTN, which is under the purview of the Prime Minister's Department, has long courted controversy, with allegations that it was being used by the previous BN regime to brainwash civil servants with government propaganda.