Malaysian National Service

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Malaysian Armed Forces
Components
Malaysian Army
Royal Malaysian Navy
Royal Malaysian Air Force
History
Military history of Malaysia
Related information
Awards & decorations
Special forces
Council
National service
Military manpower
Military age 18 years of age
Availability males age 15-49: 5,584,231
(2005 est.)
Fit For service males age 15-49: 4,574,854
(2005 est.)
Of age / year males: 244,418
(2005 est.)
Military expenditure
Dollar figure $1.69 billion
(2000 est.)
% of GDP 2.03%
(2000)
Source :
CIA World Factbook 2006

The Malaysian National Service, or Program Latihan Khidmat Negara (PLKN) was first proposed in late 2001, brought to committee the following year, and finally brought to action in 2003. Initially it was thought that all youth of a certain age would be drafted but later the numbers were restricted due to lack of resources. The program was also initially planned as a 2-year program, which was later reduced to a year, and then six months, and to its present three-month length. The issue of conscription has always been a sensitive political issue in Malaysia because of the ethnic divisions of the country. The rationale for National Service was to bond the youth of Malaysia together and create a Malaysian nation, as the problem of racial polarisation was found to pervade educational institutions in Malaysia.

Contents

[edit] Background to the ethnic problem of Malaya

Under British colonial rule the ethnic Malay population was encouraged to concentrate on subsistence agriculture, serving in the military, or working as civil servants. Ethnic Chinese were already present in what is now Malaysia and usually worked in the commercial sector. More Chinese were brought in to work on the rubber plantations and in the tin mines. When Chinese were found to be unsuitable for this sort of indentured labor, and unwilling to work under close supervision, they were replaced by Indians. Malaysia still retains a degree of separation in the economy. Malays still dominate the government and the security forces such as the army and police force. The Chinese are mainly focused in the private sector. Non-Muslim Indians remain the poorest section of Malaysian society. This has had an impact on the issue of National Service. Some ethnic Malays have not felt they can trust the other communities. Many people from the other communities are reluctant to serve in a Malay-dominated institution like the government bureaucracy, defence force and the police force.

[edit] Objectives of the NSP

  • Develop a young generation who are patriotic and with love for their country
  • Enhance unity among the multi-racial communities in the country
  • Instill a spirit of caring and volunteerism among society
  • Produce an active, intelligent and confident generation
  • Develop positive characteristics among the younger generation through good values
  • Develop a generation that will always obey the current government

[edit] The National Service program

In late December 2003, the names of 85,000 conscripts for the first National Service program was made public. The government announced that these youths were randomly selected out of the roughly 450,000 youths born in 1986, through a computerised process. Conscripts are picked from a national database that includes all citizens registered with a Malaysian ID card, whether born locally or overseas.

Conscripts are informed of their participation in the program by mail at the address listed on their identification card. They are also able to check their status on the program's website, or by SMS. Lists of conscripts names and ID numbers are also published in major newspapers.

Deserters and draft dodgers are subject to punishment of a fine of up to but not exceeding RM 3000, and/or up to six months of jail. Deferrals to a later date are allowed.

Exclusion from the program requires that the conscript fall under one of the following ten categories[1]:

The program has its own theme song and logo. Conscripts are issued two pairs each of three different types of uniforms: a class uniform, a sports uniform, and a combat uniform. The combat uniform's design is of blue camouflage stripes, made out of light blue, dark blue, white, and black. The general color scheme for the class and sports uniforms is blue, and black. Criticisms against trainees uniform are apparent as blue clothes are easily spotted in jungles and verdant vegetation areas except the sky and water.

[edit] Modules

The program is split into 4 official modules:

  • Physical Module (Fizikal) - Marching (Kawat), hand to hand combat (Tempur Tanpa Senjata, largely similar to taekwondo), Colt M-16 usage[2], obstacle courses (Kembara Halangan), abseilling (Tali Tinggi), Flying Fox, canoeing (Kayak), camping ("Wirajaya"), Navigation (Navigasi), survival training and first aid training.
  • Nation Building Module (Kenegaraan) - Classroom based. Nation's history, sovereignty and dignity, Malaysia and international affairs, Defence and National Security and Citizen's responsibility to the nation, and loyalty towards the current government, Barisan Nasional. The class are based on group based training (Latihan Dalam Kumpulan).
  • Character Building Module (Pembinaan Karakter) - Classroom based. It comprise 2 modules. The first one, Module A speaks about Bringing Out The Best In Me while the second module, Module B, relates to Bringing Out The Best In Others. This component is experential based and relies on games and activities as the means of teaching. It is about instilling good values and Self-confidence, leadership and self-evaluation. According to participants, the Character Building classes are monotonous and they are taught how to juggle balls. Parents have speculated that there is no correlation between character and ball juggling.
  • Community Service Module (Khidmat Komuniti)- Trainees are sent in groups to places in surrounding areas to give the trainees a chance to serve society. This is about building and restoring public amenities. It also teaches them environmental restoration and protection as well.

In the 2004 program, conscripts (referred to as "trainees" or "Wira" for boys and "Wirawati" for girls) spent 2 months in physical training camp, followed by a final month in a university setting. The program consisted of three separate, overlapping batches. The first batch of 24,000 began in mid-February and ended in the beginning of May, while the second and third batches began in March and ended in June. Trainees were divided among 79 training camps scattered all over the country. Each camp was supposed to contain a good mix of youth from different ethnic groups and locations.

[edit] List of National Service Training Camps

There are many National Service training camps in every state in Malaysia except the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya.

Initially, the program involved a two-month placement in a rural outdoor camp, followed by one month in an urban setting (a university, or sport facility). Following university complaints of vandalism, the urban setting placement was discontinued after the 2004 program. The canvas tents in the outdoor camps that housed 10 trainees each were replaced with concrete dormitories that housed 20 trainees each. Presently, trainees are now housed at only one location throughout the duration of the program.

[edit] Perlis

[edit] Kedah

[edit] Penang

[edit] Perak

  • Kem Akademi Kepimpinan Segari, Manjung
  • PLKN Kem Kg Baharu ( De Air' Resort ), Air Tawar
  • Terkok Camp, Sungai Siput
  • Teluk Rubiah Camp, Lumut
  • Kem Taman Kepimpinan Gemilang, Gopeng
  • Tegas Mesra Camp, Selama
  • Sentosa Camp, Chenderiang
  • Jiwa Murni Camp, Gunung Semanggol

[edit] Selangor

[edit] Negeri Sembilan

[edit] Melaka

[edit] Johor

[edit] Pahang

[edit] Kelantan

[edit] Terengganu

  • Merang Suria Holiday Camp, Setiu
  • Kem Peladang Setiu Agro Resort, Setiu
  • Cheneh Cemerlang Training Camp, Kemaman
  • Bakau Resort Camp, Kerteh

[edit] Sabah

[edit] Sarawak

  • Bukit Saban Resort Camp, Betong
  • Miri Camp, Batang Rait, Miri
  • Junaco Park Camp, Sibu
  • Similajau Camp, Bintulu
  • Juara Camp, Serian
  • Putra Sentosa Camp, Sematan
  • Bumimas Camp, Sibu
  • Puncak Permai Camp, Bau

[edit] Batches

In 2007 program, 100,000 people will be selected out of the country's youths born in 1989. They will be placed in 79 training camps, in three different batches. Each batch will undergo three months of training. However, the 2007 batches will not overlap, as with the previous year's. Instead, the three batches will span a total of nine months. Training of the first batch started on 1 January 2007 and will end at 11 March 2007. There were delays for trainees from the East Coast due to severe flooding in the region.

A well-known insider account of daily life in Malaysian National Service is the blog entries Operating Instructions by an anonymous "Kim", a trainee in the first batch of 2004. The account tells of the daily activities at Kem Wawasan Kampung Ovai, Papar, and at Universiti Malaysia Sabah.

The program is run by Jabatan Latihan Khidmat Negara (JLKN) or National Service Department, a department under the Malaysian Ministry of Defence.

[edit] Problems with the Scheme

Despite progress towards ethnic harmony made in Malaysia in recent times it is clear that there are still problems. After the 2004 pilot batch completed their National Service, the youth wing of the MCA (Malaysian Chinese Association, Malaysia's largest ethnic Chinese party), on behalf of themselves and 8 other Chinese-based youth organizations, issued a memorandum to the National Service Training Council calling for more non-Malay trainers. They also criticised the lack of counsellors, imbalanced diet for the participants, poor communications among the various secretariats and no code of conduct for camp commandants or directors, trainers, facilitators and supervisors. Despite this somewhat diplomatic language it is clear that there is a problem with bullying by Malay NCOs and Officers, a lack of cultural sensitivity by the organizers, and a reluctance to provide a proper diet for the mainly Buddhist Chinese Malaysians and Hindu Indian Malaysians.

Other main controversy issues of Malaysian National Service include the selection system where the government computer database system picks up the trainees randomly without even knowing about their social status. Some cases include poor teenagers who need to work for their living and young mothers with newborn babies who were selected for the program, which are considered as inhumane. However, selected trainees for more recent sessions with special cases can send a letter of appeal to be exempted from the training and will usually be approved

In 2005, concerns were raised in Parliament that youth were being taught to use firearms, namely M-16 rifles, in National Service. Deputy Prime Minister, Najib Razak, stated that this was merely a pilot project. However, Democratic Action Party Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency of Batu Gajah, Perak, claimed that the Parliamentary Select Committee on Unity and National Service had not been informed of the project. The firearms module is presently an official module in the program.

Trainees are required to submit a health status declaration form but are not required to seek qualified medical opinion in completing this declaration (unlike, for example, United States Space Camp which requires qualified medical certification of health status). Trainees are required to complete a medical checkup before entering the program, which is provided for free at major government clinics.

Despite of the numbers of fatalities and casualties among trainees, the government is still insisting to continue the program. Recently, Najib Razak had hinted that the program could be extended to 2 years, but he doubted that the parents would accept his proposal.

[edit] Trainee Fatalities while serving Khidmat Negara

[edit] 2008

  • Too Hui Min, 18, passed away recently on the 7th of May 2008, three days after she started complaining of constipation. Her family is desperate to know why she wasn't sent to the hospital earlier. As a result of this latest death bringing the total so far to 16, several DAP leaders are calling for the suspension or even the scrapping of the National Service programme. [2][3]
  • Afiq Zuhairi, 18, died on 16 April 2008, after a brief febrile illness. He was treated by camp paramedics several times before finally being transferred to hospital where he died in less than 24 hours [4]

[edit] 2007

  • Teng Shian Shen, 18 attached to Pasir Panjang Camp in Port Dickson died two weeks after being asked to return home from her training at the Pasir Panjang due to breathing difficulty.
  • Ili Ameera Azlan, 17, died on 18th January was attached to the Ayer Keroh, Melaka camp after suffering breathing difficulties [5]. The parents were paid RM 35,000.
  • 1 March 2007 Prema Elenchelian from Kajang, Selangor, attached to the Kisana Beach Resort Camp, Kelantan was found unconscious in a toilet at Jeram Linang (0230 hours). She was taken to the Tengku Anis Hospital where she was pronounced dead. Prema's death brought to 12 the number of trainees who have died since the programme began in 2004. [6]
  • 3 September 2007, Mohd Rafi Ameer, 18, died at 10.30pm after having fever for 1 week. Rafi called his sister and telling her that he had fever and that his leg had been swollen for nearly a week after he fell during training.[7]

[edit] 2006

  • Haziq Jaafar, 17 years old from Kota Tinggi died after a fight with another trainee at Kem Padang Hijau in Kluang, Johor.

[edit] 2005

  • Nurul Ashikin Karino, 17, died on 14th May at the Shan Sui, Tawau, Sabah camp. Karino Jalani (father of the deceased) claimed that he was not allowed to meet his daughter who fell and was injured as part of a training accident [8]
  • S. Theresa Pauline, 17, died on June 11th was attached to the Karisma Camp, Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan. She was admitted to the hospital on May 23rd after having fits. Her death was attributed to viral meningoencephaliti. Her father, S. Sarimuthu was paid RM 32,000 [9]

[edit] 2004

  • Awang Mohd Fazil Awang Borhan, 17, Died on April 23 was attached to the Simalajau Camp, Bintulu, Sarawak. He was swimming with 36 other trainees at Sungai Cina, Matang, Kuching, Sarawak.
  • T. Saravana, 18, attached to the Ethnobotany Camp, Gua Musang, Kelantan. The trainee from 1614A Hospital Quarters, Taiping, Perak drowned while picknicking at Sungai Taman Wangi, Gua Musang, about 3 kilometres from his camp, with 250 trainees and 10 trainers.

[edit] Conclusion

The security and cleanliness at most camps are very poor. In the more rural camps, communal bathing in murky ponds is practiced. The atrocious living conditions are speculated to be lower than announced cost of constructing the camp by the government. Sick trainees are NOT allowed to leave their camp even for treatment. This has been the cause of some trainees' death or illness.

Sri Impian Camp, Sungai Bakap trainees suffered food poisoning due to food served on the first day of camp, 30th. December 2007. Investigations are still continuing until today and no results are seen.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ http://www.khidmatnegara.gov.my/kectang.htm
  2. ^ http://www.khidmatnegara.gov.my/download/borang%20latihan%20senjata.pdf

[edit] References

[edit] External links

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