Keep sight on nation-building

WHEN I was 17, I received news that many in my age group did not want to hear – I was selected for the National Service Training Programme (NS).

The thought of spending three months doing military training did not appeal to me, as I had planned to take driving lessons.

To my surprise, the time I spent at the camp in Raub, Pahang, proved to be the most memorable and eye-opening experience for me.

Despite growing up in Klang Valley in a housing area located 5km from Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC), I did not have any non-Malay friends then.

During my primary and secondary school years, nearly all my classmates were Malays.

That changed during NS.

I met Chinese and Indian trainees, who, like me, were not keen on attending the programme.

Ironically, the shared reluctance to be there became the glue that bonded us.

The trainees at my camp were from Kelantan, Pahang, Selangor and Kuala Lumpur.

I remember a roommate named Gan from Kuantan, Pahang, with whom I often skipped classes with.

At our camp, trainees were required to attend religious lessons every Friday according to their respective faiths.

Being the mischievous teenagers that we were, Gan, who is Buddhist, and I, a Muslim, often hid in the dorm.

We used that time to chat and enjoy snacks bought at the cafe instead. Luckily, we never got caught.

Had we been found, the punishment would have been to wear a full uniform for a week.

Some interracial friendships took on a romantic turn.

A Kelantanese Malay boy and a Chinese girl from Kuala Lumpur were the talk of my camp, after they were spotted enjoying meals together at a cafe that was a popular evening hangout.

I heard the couple broke up a year later. There were other interracial pairings, but none made quite the same wave.

At NS, I made many friends, both Malays and non-Malays, some of whom I still keep in touch with.

NS, at least in my experience, was not the harsh military training I thought it was going to be.

Although there were reports of unfortunate incidents, luckily my experience had been positive.

I particularly enjoyed the morning classes that included lessons on the various cultures and traditions in Malaysia.

We also had cultural nights, where trainees were encouraged to dress in traditional outfits of other racial groups. During these functions, we performed with trainees from various races.

We were also taken to nearby villages to do community work.

During a visit to a village, my friends and I were tasked with cleaning up a surau.

The villagers welcomed us – Malay and non-Malay trainees alike – with kuih.

I also visited a drug rehabilitation centre nearby where I interacted with former drug addicts and learned about their lives.

The NS programme was discontinued in 2018, but will be revived in June or July next year.

NS3.0 will involve three phases, starting with introducing it to Form Four students at school and selecting the participants.

In the second phase, participants aged 17 and above will undergo training for two modules, comprising 30% of national studies and 70% of basic military.

In the third phase, trainees may sign up for advanced training if they are interested.

Personally, I am in favour of the NS being revived.

However, the authorities should ensure the safety of trainees and that it truly serves the nation-building objective it sets out to achieve.

NS could be a platform to bridge gaps among our youngsters and instil understanding and tolerance among races.

As we celebrate the 67th National Day, we should make effort to look past our differences and focus on our commonalities.