Kicking into gear: Under the previous PLKN, fitness training was a big emphasis, as demonstrated in this file pic of a group of trainees doing taekwondo at Princess Haliza Camp in Sungai Pelek, Sepang.
PETALING JAYA: Youth should be made aware of the benefits of attending the national service training while still in school, so that by the time they are called up, they will look forward to it as a national duty, says the former director-general of the programme.
Datuk Abdul Hadi Awang Kechil feels that the proposed National Service Training Programme (PLKN) 3.0 will only achieve its objectives if it adheres to the National Service Training Act (NSA) 2003.
Under the Act, “national service training” means “preparing Malaysian youth for national service and generally creating a nation which is patriotic and resilient and imbued with the spirit of volunteerism guided by the principles of the Rukun Negara”.
“As of now, many parents and students are half-hearted when it comes to national service as it is not implanted in them during their younger schooldays, as is done in countries like Singapore.
“The National Service Act states that every youth member who is called up must attend the course, but PLKN2.0 was for youth who volunteered or were selected randomly,” said Abdul Hadi, who headed the National Service Programme Department for about seven years before retiring in 2014.
He also said the modules in the previous programme were geared more towards learning English and computer skills.
“It should be noted that the reason for any national service course is to create citizens who are ready to defend their motherland and further boost their patriotism,” he added.
Abdul Hadi was among the experts consulted by the authorities before Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan made the announcement on reviving PLKN in the Dewan Rakyat on Monday.
PLKN was first introduced in 2004, with a random selection of youth aged 18 for a compulsory three-month training.
It was halted in 2015 and reintroduced the following year, with participation supposed to be made optional by 2019.
However, in August 2018, the programme was scrapped by the then Pakatan Harapan government.
Under PLKN 3.0, thousands of youth are expected to be drafted for training that will comprise 90% army training and 10% nation-building at Territorial Army (Wataniah) camps.
Abdul Hadi said that should the authorities in charge find that they need to update the Act to ensure that the objectives keep up with current times and situations, then the law should be amended before the PLKN modules are revised.
“Once we have the objectives clearly spelled out and modules created according to the stated objectives, it is unlikely to fail,” he said.
He added that former PLKN trainers who were experts in their fields should be re-hired as a number of them had lost their jobs when the programme was stopped.
National Service Volunteer Brigade (BKSN) president Mohd Syafik Mohd Taufik said there are now about 500,000 PLKN alumni trainees nationwide.
The 37-year-old accountant from Seremban, who attended the first PLKN in 2004, said as of now, there is no single platform for the government to draft or call up all former trainees should there be a need.
“Currently, it is up to us PLKN alumni to join the security forces or volunteer to assist the public in times of disaster. There is no compulsion.
“The strength of the defence of a country is not just measured by its physical assets but also by how far its people will go to ensure the country is secure,” said Mohd Syafik.
He acknowledged that the previous PLKN had issues such as bullying and poor management, but said these could be ironed out with proper planning.
