10-10-2023 (KUALA LUMPUR) Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, the Defence Minister, has announced that a revived National Service Training Programme will involve Malaysian youth undergoing 45 days of basic army training. This proposal was put forward by a special committee established to explore the revival of the programme, which was initially introduced over a decade ago.
Speaking in response to a question raised by Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh (PH-Ledang) in the Dewan Rakyat, Mohamad stated that this time the training would take place in army camps, with a focus on utilizing the numerous Territorial Army (Wataniah) camps that are well-suited for the programme.
The National Service Training Programme was first introduced in 2004 and involved the compulsory three-month training of randomly selected youth aged 18. It was temporarily halted in 2015 and reintroduced the following year, with participation becoming optional by 2019. However, the programme was completely abolished in August 2018.
In 2021, the previous administration agreed that the Defence Minister would establish a committee to investigate the possibility of reviving the programme with a new framework.
Mohamad highlighted that the revived programme would differ from its predecessor, which resembled a “summer camp.” Instead, the focus would be on providing young individuals with authentic army training. The army training component would specifically target the second phase of the programme, primarily for those who have completed their SPM examination.
In the initial phase, school uniform bodies would prepare youth for the subsequent training phase. Mohamad stated that approximately 90% of the camps would be dedicated to army training, while the remaining 10% would focus on nation-building.
Currently, there are 13 Territorial Army camps nationwide, with the capacity to accommodate around 20,000 young people annually.
The previous National Service Training Programme incurred an annual cost of RM500 million. However, by utilizing existing army camps, the proposed revival would reduce the expenses to RM100 million, according to Mohamad.
The working paper outlining the committee’s recommendations for the programme’s revival will be presented to the ministry before being submitted to the National Security Council for approval. Nonetheless, no specific timeframe has been established for this process, as the minister has agreed to further scrutiny of the matter by the Parliamentary Special Select Committee to gather input from various stakeholders.
