Intake rush: A filephoto showing a trainer inspecting the trainees during their national service training.
254 walk-in PLKN 3.0 trainees turned away due to good response
PETALING JAYA: Overwhelming response to enrol at the National Service Training Programme (PLKN) 3.0 training camp in Pekan has led to 254 walk-in applicants being turned down and told to return home, says the National Service Training Department.
Its director-general Datuk Ya’cob Samiran said they were rejected due to overcrowding and would be able to join the next intake at the 505 Territorial Army Camp in Pekan without having to undergo the selection process.
“We would like to apologise and also thank parents and guardians for their encouraging support,” he said.
He added that they did not anticipate the number would exceed the prescribed capacity.
“However, to ensure the quality of training, the comfort of accommodation and the safety of trainees, we have to make the difficult decision to postpone the registration of some trainees and request that they return to their respective residences temporarily, due to capacity constraints as the camp cannot accommodate so many trainees,” he said in a statement yesterday.
According to the department, a total of 838 male PLKN 3.0 trainees reported for admission on Jan 17, with 282 walk-ins applicants.
However, only 28 of the walk-in applicants were admitted.
In an earlier statement, Ya’cob said overbooking was practised for PLKN 3.0 training camps due to past trends of no-shows.
“However, attendance in this series has been extraordinary and beyond expectations,” he said, adding that those who were rejected at this training camp could submit travel claims to the National Service Training Department.
