KUALA LUMPUR: Jenifer Kumar did not just step out of her comfort zone for the holidays – she marched entirely out of it, trading her university semester break for 45 days of gruelling military-style drills and pre-dawn wake-up calls under the National Service Training Programme (PLKN) 3.0.
While the programme typically selects school leavers, the 21-year-old undergraduate bypassed the official draft and volunteered for the experience.
“I wanted to challenge myself and prove that I could do something outside my comfort zone,” Jenifer said.
(Trainees are typically Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia leavers who are chosen under a selection process.)
The decision had a profound impact on her life. She said she had emerged stronger, more disciplined and confident after undergoing training that tested her both physically and mentally.
Looking back, Jenifer admitted to having moments when she thought about giving up, including a training session where she collapsed due to the heat.
Yet one of the programme’s biggest lessons, she said, was learning to build diverse friendships.
“Before joining PLKN, I didn’t have many close friends from other ethnic backgrounds. Here, I made friends with Malays, Chinese and Indians from all over the country. Living and training together helped us understand one another better,” she said.
Jenifer’s experience was among the stories highlighted at the PLKN 3.0 passing-out parade at Kem Rejimen 515 Askar Wataniah here yesterday when 1,369 trainees completed the 45-day programme conducted at three camps nationwide.
Eunice Chow, who was named Wira Muda Ulung at the Kuala Lumpur camp, said the programme strengthened her discipline and reinforced her desire to join the military.
She spoke of her ambition to become a pilot with the air force.
“PLKN prepared me mentally and physically for what I hope to pursue,” said Chow, 18.
“The biggest challenge was mental endurance, particularly during parade drills that required trainees to remain motionless for long periods.”
As for Nur Aleeya Batrisya Mohamad Apis, 18, she said the programme transformed her from a shy teenager into a confident youth leader.
“There were times when I felt discouraged, especially after being reprimanded, but I learnt to strengthen my mental and emotional resilience,” said Nur Aleeya, who held the post of Wira Muda Kanan, essentially serving as a section leader on her team.
For her, the biggest lesson was not learning how to march or follow orders but discovering one’s own potential.
The PLKN 3.0 Series 2/2026 programme, which ran from April 25 to June 8, involved three camps nationwide, including Kem Rejimen 515 Askar Wataniah.
Of the 1,369 trainees who completed the programme, 531 were male trainees from the Pekan camp and 245 were females from the Kuala Lumpur camp, while the remaining 593 participants at the Port Dickson camp comprised 260 males and 333 females.
