National Service not just for schoolkids

KUALA LUMPUR: The National Service Training Programme (PLKN 3.0) will not be confined to secondary school students, says Adly Zahari.

The Deputy Defence Minister said undergraduates and youth who are not pursuing tertiary education would also be included.

“We have the timeline and age bracket to ensure that the programme is implemented well,” he told the Dewan Rakyat during Question Time yesterday.

He was answering a supplementary question from Ketereh MP Datuk Khlir Mohd Nor, who had asked the Defence Ministry to clarify if the programme, planned to begin next year, would involve only secondary school students or youth as a whole.

On the mid-term review of the Defence White Paper, Adly said the ministry is looking into certain strategies related to the policy document.

“We had a kick-off ceremony for the mid-term review on Feb 13. There were a few factors that were beyond our expectations, such as Covid-19.

“We also saw some important aspects related to our cybersecurity, especially on artificial intelligence, as well as other factors related to climate change and so on,” he added.

The White Paper began in 2019 and is scheduled to conclude in 2030.