Malaysia Defends National Service For Teens After A Series Of Deaths During Training

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's government defended the National Service program for teenagers Tuesday (27 May), rejecting calls for it to be scrapped following a series of deaths during training.

An 18-year-old girl died in training earlier this month, bringing the total number of deaths to 16 since the character-building program began four years ago.

The three-month program, in which young people are based in forest camps, includes community service and military-style physical training.

Some parents and opposition parties have called for the program to be halted, saying it is unsafe for teens and wastes government resources.

Half of the 16 deaths have been linked to health issues, such as illnesses, infections or seizures, and the others to accidents, such as drowning, or fighting.

Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak described the deaths as unfortunate but said they were beyond trainers' control. Camp commandants have been told to be more alert and proactive in dealing with sick trainees, he said.

Najib pledged to push for a "zero death" policy in the program, but rejected calls for it to be scrapped.

"Those incidents should not mar the overall success of the National Service program," he told reporters.

"Those who have participated in the program feel they have improved their leadership skills, have the ability to be more disciplined and be able to work as a team," he said.

"They also feel that they are able to relate to others from different races and religions. They know how to interact and make friends, show a more positive attitude toward community and a greater sense of patriotism."

The government spends around 600 million ringgit (US$187 million) a year on the program, which is mandatory for 17- and 18-year-old high school graduates. Recruits are chosen at random by the government.

The parents of Too Hooi Min, who died earlier this month, have sued the government for negligence after refusing to accept the official explanation that she died of a colon infection.

The training program aims to instill discipline, patriotism and racial unity among teenagers, but has often been criticized for alleged lack of supervision and for disciplinary problems.

Associated Press
27/05/08