SATURDAY-8TH DECEMBER 2007-PARENTS FEAR NS MILITARY NATURE

Parents fear NS military nature
KOTA KINABALU:
Some parents are reluctant to let their children undergo the National Service programme as they liken it to military training. National Service Council (MSC) Chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye, in disclosing this yesterday, said he welcomes parents to the NS camps and judge for themselves whether the type of training carried out is military or otherwise. “I believe the perception exists because most of the NS trainers are ex-army officers and personnel,” he said. “NS is a programme to build the trainees’ discipline and prepare them to face future challenges,” he told reporters after a special interview with Sabah FM radio channel at Wisma Radio Televisyen Malaysia, yesterday. Lee said the MSC encourages ex-trainees to join the army after completing the training programme, but it should be on their own will. “We are not forcing them to join the army,” he stressed. Lee said about 110,000 more youths will be attending the NS training programme at 81 camps throughout the country next year, and the first group of 37,000 trainees would register themselves on Dec29 at the camps where they have been assigned to. “Of the 9,144 trainees to undergo training at seven camps in Sabah, 2,733 are from the first batch,” he said, adding that some 280,000 youths have attended the training programme nationwide since it was introduced three years back. Lee said efforts would continue to be made to improve the programme management and services to build confidence among trainees and their parents in the quality of training and safety of trainees in all the camps. He said although a random survey in 2006 involving 2,000 respondents (NS trainees) found that 94 per cent were supportive of the programme, the organisers still welcome views from all quarters, including the parents. Lee said the placement of 350 trained medical assistants and nurses at the NS training camps by the Health Ministry next year was the latest effort aimed at improving the programme, especially medical care. He said in the past, the medical units at the training camps were only manned by paramedics from the Defence Ministry. “We are aiming for ‘zero death’ at the training camps from next year,” said Lee, adding that a directive has also been issued to all the camp commandants that: “Any trainee who remains sick for 24 hours after being treated at the camp must be referred to the nearest government clinic or hospital, while the trainee’s parents or family must be informed about the matter.”