24-11-2023 (KUALA LUMPUR) Malaysia’s Defence Minister, Mohamad Hasan, has announced that the country’s National Service Training Programme (PLKN) will not be implemented in 2024. This decision comes as a result of the absence of any allocations for the training programme in Malaysia’s Budget 2024.
During his speech on November 23 while discussing Budget 2024, the Defence Minister explained that in order to utilize army camps for the PLKN, extensive upgrades would be required for all 13 camps nationwide. He further stated that the ministry will carefully examine the implementation mechanism in collaboration with all relevant stakeholders before finalizing and implementing the programme. As a result, it is likely that the PLKN will only commence in 2025.
Datuk Seri Mohamad also mentioned that the Cabinet has granted approval for the Defence Ministry to conduct further studies on the PLKN, indicating that it is presently in the study phase. Various options have been explored, and suggestions put forth by Members of Parliament to collaborate with non-governmental organizations will be taken into consideration before the proposal is presented to the Cabinet for further approval. However, considering the lack of budgetary provisions, the likelihood of the programme commencing in 2024 is minimal.
Earlier, on October 31, the Defence Minister had announced the revival of the PLKN programme, known as PLKN 3.0, targeting young individuals who have completed their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination, which is equivalent to the O levels in Singapore. However, concerns were raised by the public on social media platforms when it was stated that the programme would include individuals between the ages of 16 and 35.
The ministry later clarified that only those born in 2007 would be eligible for PLKN if it were to be implemented by 2024. The selection of trainees would be based on their year of birth, with the maximum age limit for participation set at 35.
The PLKN was initially introduced in 2004 and involved the random selection of 18-year-olds for a mandatory three-month programme. It was suspended in 2015 but reintroduced the following year with plans to make participation optional by 2019. However, the programme was ultimately discontinued in August 2018.
In 2021, the government agreed that the Defence Minister would establish a special committee to investigate the feasibility of reviving the programme with a new framework.
