National Service Training Programme (Malaysia)
Military service programme, 2002–2018 / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The National Service Training Programme, or Program Latihan Khidmat Negara (PLKN), known locally as the Khidmat Negara ("National Service") was Malaysia's national service program under the Barisan Nasional (BN) government. The programme was handled by the National Service Training Department, or Jabatan Latihan Khidmat Negara (JLKN) under the Minister of Defence (MINDEF). The conscripts are 18-year-old youths that are selectively drafted. The three-month program, which started in December 2003, began as way to encourage friendship between youths of certain ages from different races and ethnic groups and address concerns that the country's multi-ethnic and multi-cultural groups who were seen of "becoming increasingly isolated from one another".[2]
Jabatan Latihan Khidmat Negara (JLKN) | |
Department overview | |
---|---|
Formed | 30 October 2002; 21 years ago (2002-10-30) |
Dissolved | 13 August 2018; 5 years ago (2018-08-13) |
Jurisdiction | Government of Malaysia |
Headquarters | Bangunan Zetro, 2-5, Jalan 9/27c, Wangsa Maju, 53300 Kuala Lumpur. |
Minister responsible | |
Deputy Minister responsible |
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Parent department | Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) |
Website | web |
The program was halted for one year in 2015 due to the federal government's efforts to cut spending.[3] The program was reintroduced as PLKN 2.0 in 2016, with participation to be made fully optional by 2019.[4]
On 13 August 2018, Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman of the new federal government under Pakatan Harapan (PH) announced that the PLKN and National Civics Bureau (BTN) programmes were abolished, as he claimed they were being used for racial indoctrination.[5][6]