2.37 = 339,186 - 16

"The death cases only involved a very small percentage of the 339,186 NS trainees."

That came from DPM Najib Tun Razak, when he gave a hand at the Dewan Rakyat on Thursday to defend the National Service programme.

There had been 16 deaths since the programme started in 2004 till 2007. Najib pointed out that of the 16 cases, 11 died in the camps and the other 5 during breaks. Further, of the 11 who died, seven were due to diseases and four died in accidents. Is he saying that the NS training was not the cause of their deaths?

Now, read deeper into Najib's statement. What is he trying to tell the parents? That the 16 deaths are okay? That it is no big deal? That the 16 innocent kids - all in their teens - were expendable?

A staggering RM2.37 billion had been spent on the NS programme during the 2004-2007 period. What's the cost per trainee?

The cost will surely shoot up, given that there are plans to outsource the medical screening of enlisted NS trainees to private doctors. Some doctors will soon be laughing their way to the bank.