After announcing the return of the National Service Training Programme (PLKN) previously, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan has today revealed details of the 3.0 version of the programme.
In a written reply to a question by Sungai Petani Member of Parliament (MP) Dr Mohammed Taufiq Johari, Mohamad Hasan asserted that PLKN 3.0 will be done in 2 phases and would be targeted at Malaysian youths aged 16 to 35.
Phase 1 will be conducted in schools and involve Form 4 students. Moreover, this first phase will be geared towards uniformed co-curricular activities such as scouts, police and firefighters.
Furthermore, the implementation of phase 1 would not involve Form 5 students as the government wants them to focus on the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examinations.
Meanwhile, phase 2 will be conducted after the schooling phase, whereby only SPM leavers will be selected.
Phase 2 itself will involve 45 days of training, 90% of which is basic military training while the remaining 10% is on nation-building.
The Defence Minister further elaborated that 13 Territorial Army Camps nationwide, including the Police Training Centre (Pulapol) in Kuala Lumpur, will be used for phase 2.
He also revealed the cost of the revived programme, which is RM100 million a year, which is far lower than the RM500 million spent for PLKN 2.0 previously.
So, what do you guys think of PLKN 3.0? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
Also read: PLKN 3.0: Govt Revives NS Programme But This Time With Only 45 Days of Training at Military Camp