As crude oil prices go up, as our nation's oil reserves deplete, as fuel, power and food prices go up, as the people combat the rising cost of living, as...the list goes on and on. Aptly, the country will need to review its priority and channel precious resources to areas of greater need.
One thing that comes to mind immediately is the so-called National Service programme. It really falls into the MEGA category, considering that the government, via the Defence Ministry, has so far spent a staggering RM2.37 billion since the programme's launch in 2004 to 2007, covering 339,186 NS trainees. OMG, this works out to RM6.9 million per trainee. News reports say that the 2008 NS allocation amounts to RM500 million.
Yet, despite the wish of many Malaysians to scrap the NS programme, NS Training Council chairman Lee Lam Thye said on 6 June that the NSTC would propose to DPM/Defence Minister Najib Razak to increase the number of trainees from the present 110,000 to 140,000 in 2009. (Some 490,000 born in 1991 will be eligible for NS training in 2009.) Of course, Najib would have to ask the government for an extra budget allocation to accommodate the increase in trainees.
By its own account, the government's decision to introduce the NS scheme is an admission of the country's education system's (from primary to tertiary levels) failure to promote national unity. One really wonders how this 3-month scheme can realistically achieve what the 6-year primary and 5-year secondary education failed to deliver. Furthermore, the NS training only targets less than 30% of the Form 5 student population.
The money allocated to the NS scheme could well be used for more fruitful and worthwhile cause. For example, use the fund to give out more scholarships. Of course, the NS trainers and other service providers contracted by the Defence Ministery - and perhaps some NS trainees - will not be too happy.
Read also Steve Oh's letter on 'NS a reflection of education system's failure' in MalaysiaKini (3/6/08).
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