Scholarships Job Opportunities Will Motivate Youth To Join National Service

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National service should offer better benefits to its participants so they can see the gains of lending their time and effort to the programme, said a DAP lawmaker.
Raub MP Chow Yu Hui suggested that it could be in the form of certificates, scholarships or job opportunities so that youths would be motivated to get involved.
"Many youths are not keen on national service because it disrupts their lives and offers no clear benefit to their future.
"To attract them, we must rebrand and redesign the programme - make it more relevant to what today’s youth want: real skills, career support, and meaningful experiences," he told Malaysiakini.
Yesterday, Deputy Defence Minister Adly Zahari revealed that 37 percent of National Service 3.0 trainees did not show up for duty in the May-June session, with health issues and job commitments cited as reasons for absenteeism.
Under the National Service Training Act, those who fail to report for duty may be referred to a disciplinary committee and face a sentence of community service.
Deputy Defence Minister Adly ZahariHowever, Adly said the Defence Ministry will carry out a comprehensive investigation before taking any such action.
The May-June intake marks the second session of the revived National Service 3.0 programme, which was reintroduced earlier this year.
‘Love all to spark patriotism’
Commenting further, Chow identified another issue - how the lack of equal treatment affects patriotism.
"We need to realise that patriotism doesn’t come from just wearing uniforms or joining camps.
"It comes from feeling that you are treated fairly as a Malaysian, no matter your race or religion," he said.
ADSHe cited racial quotas in the education system, claiming that local universities favour matriculation graduates over those who have taken the STPM exam.
"When youths feel they are excluded or treated unfairly, how can we expect them to love the country?
"If Malaysia wants patriotic youth, then Malaysia must first show that it loves all its citizens equally," he added.
Besides that, the DAP leader called national service a "questionable programme", opining that funds would be better utilised if they were funnelled towards sectors that benefit everyone, including education, healthcare, and social welfare.
‘Don’t repeat failed programme’
Chow pointed to the fact that the programme had been discontinued previously, saying this was due to poor outcomes and even the deaths of participants.
"Now it’s being reintroduced, with few changes - which is worrying.
"We should not repeat a failed programme just for the sake of saying we’re doing something," he said.
He expressed his belief that the programme should be voluntary instead of mandatory so that it can be targeted at those with a genuine interest.
Last year, Chow said it was not wise to spend RM50 million on the National Service Programme 3.0, especially in this economic climate.
He instead called for fair and equal policies for all Malaysians, saying this would be more effective in instilling patriotism.
Earlier in January, 116 trainees partook in the pilot phase of the programme.
Each session is supposed to last 45 days, with a curriculum that comprises 70 percent basic military training and 30 percent nation-building components, including physical, mental, and civic development.
National service was first introduced in 2004, which involved randomly selected youths undergoing a three-month programme post-secondary school.
Former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak suspended the training in 2015, stating it would save RM400 million for the year.
It restarted the following year and was scrapped in 2018 by then youth and sports minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman. - Mkini

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