The people is being fed little by little with regards to the issue of National Service Programme. The latest tidbits were reported in the mainstream media recently.
On Aug 17th, Star reported that the National Union of Teaching Profession hopes those who will be selected for the national service programme will be given ample notice, its secretary-general Datuk N. Siva Subramaniam. This will give them time to prepare for the programme by building up their stamina and by reading to increase their general knowledge, he said.
On Aug 16th,Bernama reported that the Defence Ministry will recruit former servicemen to train participants of the National Service programme, scheduled to be implemented in February next year. Deputy Defence Minister Datuk Shafie Apdal said the Ministry had yet to decide on the actual number of servicemen to be recruited for the programme which needed some 3,000 trainers.
On Aug 14th, Cabinet Committee on National Service Programme chairman Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said 85,000 boys and girls would be the first to attend the training starting on February in three staggered batches at 45 camps. Najib also said a dry run would be conducted with a 200 specially selected youths for a trial programme at the Universiti Utara Malaysia campus from Sept 3rd to 28th.
On Aug 10th, Star reported that a 21-year-old army recruit succumbed to severe head injuries at the Seremban Hospital, a day after she went through a gruelling drill with 300 of her peers. At least 29 of her fellow recruits fainted during the two-hour exercise and six had to be hospitalised. This report was greeted with fear by some of the parents whose children are in SPM classes this year. Will their children be subjected to such gruelling drills next year? Will the trainers be able to spot trouble and nip it in the bud before morbidity or mortality take place? Will there be adequately trained and equipped trainers in the Programme?
Lone says :: Why is information regarding the National Service Programme coming out in little bits and pieces and from different mouths. It is to be impemented in Feb 2004, now some 6 months away, things appear still being done on an adhoc basis. Why only 200 youths for the dry run? Why from Sept 3rd to the 28th, this is the period when the SPM students are taking their trial examinations? Questions, questions, questions; can we have answers, answers, answers.
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:: LONE