F
ive years after it was discontinued in August 2018, the National Service Training Programme (PLKN) is in the spotlight again.
The programme is set to be revived next year but criticisms over its costs have arisen, with concerns that the new national service – dubbed PLKN 3.0 – might incur significant expenses, as was the case with the previous PLKN, especially at a time when the country is facing economic challenges.
The previous government had spent a total of RM8.43 billion on the earlier editions of PLKN, which kicked off in 2004, and 43 percent of the sum went towards the rentals for private training camps throughout the nation.
Another concern is whether PLKN 3.0 has the capacity to mould a community into one that embodies patriotism, integrity and humanity, as envisioned by the government, within a span of just 45 days.
In contrast, the national service programmes of countries such as Singapore and South Korea are not only more rigorous but run up to two years. In Singapore, national service is compulsory for all male citizens aged 18 and in South Korea, for all male citizens aged between 18 and 35.
Will PLKN 3.0 succeed in equipping the nation’s youth with the resilience they require to tackle the challenges they are currently facing including technological advancements and foreign influences?
Commenting on this, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris Department of Malaysian Studies senior lecturer Dr Norazlan Hadi Yaacob said he hoped the government would shed more light on PLKN 3.0’s training mechanism, a bulk of which will be military-oriented.
DIRECTION
Norazlan, who was involved in the creation of modules for the previous PLKN, hoped that the new modules would be enhanced to enable participants to meet the current challenges.
“I also hope the new line-up of trainers will comprise professionals with vast experience in their respective fields,” he told Bernama, adding the existing PLKN modules were “already quite good”.
PLKN, which was introduced in 2004, was abolished in 2018
On Oct 9, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan told the Dewan Rakyat that PLKN will be reimplemented and that a total of 13 territorial army camps have been identified as training venues for the programme. He said 90 percent of the programme will involve military training while the remaining 10 percent will comprise nation-building modules.
Following the minister’s announcement, the government was urged to provide more details of the training modules to prevent misconceptions among the public.
However, the revival of PLKN has received the thumbs-up from some experts who perceive the programme as an effective platform to promote unity and strengthen ties among the diverse communities of this country.
In fact, a 2016 study on the effectiveness of the previous PLKN found that the three-month-long programme had a good impact on participants as nearly 91.5 percent of the respondents gave positive feedback in terms of the nationhood module they were exposed to while around 98.5 percent said they were willing to sacrifice their lives to defend the nation.
“PLKN actually plays a crucial role in fostering a sense of unity when the trainees realise that the responsibility for maintaining peace is a collective effort, regardless of their (ethnic) backgrounds.
“This is important as the participants come from national and national-type schools and have different ways of thinking, socialising and understanding,” Norazlan said, stressing that the differences can be overcome by forging a spirit of togetherness through the activities conducted under the PLKN programme.
According to him, the previous programme, which emphasised nationhood aspects such as the Constitution, royal institution, government administration and laws, was successful in providing exposure to participants on these matters and helping them to understand Parliamentary democracy better as well as the importance of respecting royalty.
A MISTAKE
Former director-general of the National Service Training Department Datuk Abdul Hadi Awang Kechil, meanwhile, said it was a “mistake to abolish” a programme that had the means to cultivate the future leaders of this country.
What the government should have done is improve the PLKN programme by addressing its shortcomings as well as the criticisms hurled by some quarters, instead of “taking the easy way out by halting it”, he said.
PLKN is an effective platform to promote unity and strengthen ties among the diverse communities of this country
“This programme is still very relevant; in fact, no country has initiated such a programme only to abolish it later, as was done in this country.
“Using military camps to conduct PLKN 3.0 may be the best way to save costs as the government need not rent private camps,” he said.
Previously, PLKN activities were conducted in motivation camps that also served as venues for the National Civics Bureau programmes, with the camps concerned required to fulfil the necessary specifications including providing facilities for training and boarding.
PLKN 3.0 will be implemented over two phases, with the first involving Form Four students and conducted via the Ministry of Education’s uniformed co-curricular activities such as law enforcement, firefighting and scouting. The second phase is tailored for fifth-formers after they complete their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia examination.
Abdul Hadi also said Malaysia was a pioneer in creating a national service programme that did not solely focus on military training, unlike other countries like South Korea and Singapore.
He said the previous PLKN model has served as a guide to other countries, including Brunei, which established and implemented similar programmes.
IMPROVE
Teacher Mohd Nazrin Faiz Che Abd Aziz, 34, who is a PLKN alumnus, opined that PLKN 3.0 can be improved by incorporating skills training that can help prepare participants for the workforce.
Mohd Nazrin, who teaches Bahasa Melayu at a Chinese-medium school in Selangor, felt that PLKN should be used as a platform to identify the abilities and inclinations of trainees so as to gauge whether they are inclined towards academic pursuits or technical and vocational education.
PLKN 3.0, 90 per cent of focus will be on military-style identity building and another 10 per cent on statecraft
“In view of the current challenges, participants should not only be given training to make them more disciplined or learn about nationhood but also be exposed to career paths that align with today’s market demands.
“It’s important that individuals undergoing PLKN training benefit in terms of disciplinary, spirituality and leadership aspects… they should also be able to identify their next direction (after completing the training),” said Mohd Nazrin who is president of the National Service Volunteer Brigade Foundation Alumni.
He said the PLKN alumni still keep in touch and are involved in various community and humanitarian projects in and outside the country.
He added that the spirit of cooperation they forged during the three-month national service training helped them to strengthen their identities and enabled them to build strong bonds with their fellow trainees regardless of their race, religion and background.
Translated by Rema Nambiar
