The National Service Training Programme will be rolled out at 20 public universities next year, aiming to train 150,000 youths annually through extended campus-based modules.
PEKAN: The National Service Training Programme (PLKN) will be expanded to 20 public universities nationwide next year. National Service Training Department director-general Datuk Ya’cob Samiran announced the plan today.
He said the department will also implement a PLKN pilot project at Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris this year. Three polytechnics and three Institutes of Teacher Education will also host pilot programmes.
“The training period at universities is longer, covering one to two semesters, compared with 45 days at camps,” Ya’cob said. Students who completed camp training after their SPM will be exempted from the university module.
He revealed the expansion during a press conference for the Malaysian Youth Parliament Roadshow. The campus-based implementation aims to train approximately 150,000 youths within a year.
PLKN will also be expanded to 13 training camps nationwide, involving 25,000 participants annually. Only two camps are currently operational, with the rest undergoing upgrades.
The number of active camps will increase starting from the programme’s second and third series this year. This follows a recent incident involving 254 male trainees at the 505 Territorial Army Camp.
Those trainees were advised to return home last January due to overcapacity. Ya’cob explained the incident occurred when participant numbers exceeded the set limit following last-minute confirmations.
“For example, the maximum capacity at a location is only 500 people, but the number of participants who showed up reached 556,” he said. This was due to late feedback from some candidates and the attendance of reserve candidates.
The department had to prioritise participants who confirmed and attended according to stipulated procedures. Eligible reserve candidates were then accommodated where possible.
