PENANG, Malaysia - Some 25,000 Malaysian teenagers have completed the inaugural compulsory three-month national-service stint aimed at promoting patriotism and ethnic unity. But most participants apparently don't like it and there is widespread public unease over major and minor incidents, including violence, gangsterism and truancy. Another 50,000 Malaysians in two more groups are to complete their national service soon.

The program, which has military-type aspects of an outward-bound program, included some military training as well as courses in personal development and values. Like Malaysian society, it encountered problems with racial polarization and lack of inter-ethnic mingling, restlessness and alienation, lack of discipline and other social issues. The national-service initiative was hit by bad news from the start: a drowning, a rape allegation, brawls and other violence, a break-in, gangsterism, truancy and other, mostly disciplinary problems. Trainers and trainees alike got into trouble and some were arrested for wrongdoing; others demonstrated over grievances or walked out.

The program had targeted some 480,000 Malaysians who were born in 1986. Of these, 85,000 were randomly selected for service, but about 10,000 trainees failed to show up - and in retrospect, were spared some of the woes of life in camp, which proved to be a reflection of the weaknesses in Malaysian society. Critics, meantime, questioned the financial transparency of the RM500 million (US$131.6 million) program and whether contracts were properly awarded. A few trainers walked out, complaining that they had not been adequately paid their salaries and allowances as promised by the Institut Kepimpinan Wawasan (Vision Leadership Institute).

A news report on April 21 quoted a camp commander as saying he was disappointed that Institut Kepimpinan Wawasan - one of the rare occasions this little-known body was mentioned in the media - did not keep its word about payments. The institute, which is headed by a retired brigadier-general, had been tasked with designing the physical-training module, hiring the trainers and managing its implementation at 42 campsites nationwide. For accommodation, planners tapped university hostel facilities that were vacant during semester breaks.

Opposition parties and other groups have called for a suspension of the program pending a thorough review of the need for the program or a revamp in its implementation. Continue to the Asia Times....