PLKN Poised For Comeback With New Framework
There are still documents to be finalised and presented to the National Security Council, says the Defense Minister.
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Those who completed their Form Five in the early days of Y2K might have fond memories of attending the National Service Training Programme (PLKN).
While it was introduced in 2003, the programme was shelved in 2018.
Today, the Dewan Rakyat was told that PLKN will return.
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said the new PLKN will be 45 days and may be conducted in the existing 13 army camps and one police camp.
However, there is the process of documentation that needs to be finalised and presented to the National Security Council (MKN) first, he said, as reported by NST.
“We are looking at reviving PLKN but with a new template instead of the old template, which is more to a summer camp.
“This time we do not want to spend too much but have positive returns,” he said in the Dewan Rakyat today.
This time around PLKN will be done in three phases. The first phase will be at the school level with participation in uniform units under co-curricular activities. Phase 2 will be the 45-day training. Phase 3 will be where trainees will be welcomed by the agencies.
Mohamad said the trainers for the program are ready and clarified that PLKN 3.0 will not be use the programs of Singapore or South Korea as reference.
As for the budget, he said that according to the paperwork, it is below RM100 million per year compared to RM500 million per year before.
“Most importantly is the result, we produce quality, disciplined, and patriotic youths,” he said.
PLKN
PLKN was implemented in the year 2003 and it was a three-month training program that was made compulsory for selected teenagers aged 18 and above. It was handled by the Training Department under the Defence Ministry.
Between 85,000 and 95,000 trainees are admitted annually to the PLKN, with the expenditure on average at RM600 million annually.
However, in the year 2015, it was halted temporarily due to cost-cutting measures and revived in 2016 as PLKN 2.0 with about 20,000 trainees per year.
Later, it was abolished in the year 2018 under the Pakatan Harapan government.
PLKN was meant to produce teenagers who are disciplined and patriotic towards the country.
Such training was deemed necessary for teenagers as it allowed them to shape their mentality and build their confidence before facing hurdles in the real world.
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