Update as of 3/11/2023:
In a statement by the Ministry of Defense, he has since clarified that only individuals born in the year 2007 will be eligible to participate in the program. In the case that selected trainees are unable to partake in the national service training due to legitimate reasons, they are able to apply for a postponement.
"The maximum limit to become a trainee is up to the age of 35," said the statement. So for now, all the millennials can sit back and relax as the record has been set straight.
<--- Update --->
PLKN is a three-month compulsory national service conducted in Malaysia that caters to youths aged 18 right after they complete their SPM examinations. Historically, it has been implemented since 2004 to build resilient, energetic, and healthy youths.
Recently, the Defense Minister, Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan declared that they will be focusing on youths aged 16 to 35. However, he assured that Form 5 students will be exempted from the training, as reported by The Star.
As we know, PLKN involves youths aged 18 after they complete SPM examinations but isn’t it strange that the training extended to youths aged 35?
This time around, the training was revived in a different approach whereby youths are to undertake training at the army camps. It encompasses 13 Territorial Army (Wataniah) camps which can occupy 20,000 trainees and the training will last for 45 days which doesn’t take much time. It also includes the Police Training Centre (Pulapol) in Kuala Lumpur which will be used for Phase II training, as said by the Defense Minister.
In a written reply to Dr Mohammed Taufiq Johari (PH-Sungai Petani) on October 31 in the Dewan Rakyat, he mentioned that the training will be divided into Phase I and Phase II.
Phase I consists of participation at the school level which involves Form 4 students focusing on uniformed co-curricular activities such as police, firefighters, and scouts. Whereas for Phase II, it will be conducted after the schooling phase which is right after youths complete their SPM examinations.
With that being said, Form Five students will not be affected so that they can prioritize their important examinations but they will undergo their training under Phase II.
Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said that Phase II consists of forty-five days of training where 90% will be involved with basic military training whereas the remaining is for nation-building.
Costly as it seems, the Government spent RM100mil per year for PLKN 3.0 as compared to the previous PLKN schemes amounting to only RM500mil.
With the higher cost spent comes better training, right?
Back in 2021, the Defense Minister intended to set up a special committee to investigate the possibility of reviving the program with a new template and the previous administration agreed with it. Eventually, on October 9 this year, the government made an official announcement that they would revive the national training program in which the training lasts for 45 days only at military camps.
Group 30’s PLKN Starter Pack be like… https://t.co/GXCHBqZuVO pic.twitter.com/t42t3rMrJz
— ALAN (@IniAlalalannn) November 1, 2023
Comment 1 - A strong smell exudes when using medicated oil for PLKN training
Comment 2 - Sharing her nightmare experience as a trainee
Comment 3 - Bring along Panadol Extend for use in training
Comment 4 - Feeling sad that group 30s are involved too for the national service
Background of PLKN
PLKN is known as Program Latihan Khidmat Negara which was initiated back in 2002 with the formation of the National Service Training Department before its first implementation on 16 February 2004. It aims to increase patriotism among youths and to encourage them to contribute to the national service for the country as the ‘latihan khidmat’ in Malay.
The program was then rebranded as PLKN 2.0 in 2016, making it an optional training that emphasized vocational training. Unfortunately, it was suspended in 2015 before being reintroduced again in 2016 to later be entirely abolished in 2018.
For more information about PLKN, kindly view it here.
In the end, PLKN’s training helps to prepare youths with strong character as well as equip themselves with the necessary physical activities that can benefit their overall well-being be it physically, mentally, or emotionally.
What are your thoughts on this and have you undergone the training?
Drop your comments, alternatively, follow us for more!
*Sources: Visual and Reference Credits to Social Media, The Star, Twitter & various cross-references for context.
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