Parliament: Datuk Seri Najib on National Service Training
The emergency motion on National Service Training Programme which I submitted was rejected by the Speaker last Monday.
Just now, the Deputy Prime Minister was here to reply to question raised related to Defence Ministry. I took the opportunity to ask him some questions. So did Kit Siang.
The DPM mentioned about his sadness whenever any untowards incident happened to the trainee and concluded with the importance to have the Programme. Some of the points I could recall are as follow:-
1. He gave the statistics of 0.04% of death (16 persons) out of about 340,000 trainees who have gone for the training. (Kit Siang rebutted by saying , “One death is too many”)
2. The increase of confident of the public towards the programme with the fact that there is an increase of volunteer applications to participate in the programme ie from about 920 applicants to 1,370 applicants.
3. On going ways to improve the programme and may be considering of compulsory medical check up before admission to the camp.
I stood up and asked some of the questions raised by some concern individuals.
1) That the DPM can do more than feeling sad over the death of the trainees. He can stop the programme. How many more deaths need to occur before the Ministry decide to stop the programme
2) If it is true that the public is having more confident towards the programme, why not then make it voluntarily and not compulsory.
3) The objectives of the programme is important but it cannot be achieved in 90 days. In fact, what is needed is to look into the policies in the administration of the government.
4) Isn’t the Cabinet, last year, rejected the proposal of compulsory medical check up because according to a report presented by the Health Ministry, it is not possible to detect all diseases of the trainee at that point of time.
5) Both of us are not medically trained, but DPM can seek medical advice that a trainee may not know that she has a disease but the food supplied, environment and training at the camp, can make her condition worst.
The DPM gave his usual reply of the importance of the Programme and also quoted the National Service of Singapore ( In 2003, when he tabled the Bill in Parliament, he said our NS training is ala-Malaysia but now, he is using Singapore as a comparison). Also, he said, if the programme is made voluntary participation, he is afraid that there will only be one race interested in the Programme.
I further stood up again and said he has not answered my question of -”How many more deaths need to occur before the Ministry stop the NS Programme. What is more important than lives of our children? I shouted out, contracts?”
The Speaker of the House, Tan Sri Pandikar heard my question and answered on behalf of the DPM by saying something to this effect, “it is God who determines ones death.”
My point for asking the question is - “When will only the DPM consider that the implementation of the Programme is not possible if 16 deaths is not serious enough to convince him to stop the programme.?”
These are some points I raised and it may not be in correct order. When I get hold of the Hansard, I will post it up.
Those death trainee were made no relation to those (deleted), that’s why they take it easy (even some actions been / in-progress to proceed). If to say that there are a lot of voluntary, anyone ever doubts about their qualification? (deleted) UMNO should understand that some day, thare is their turn to experience the sorrow of lost loved one.
Comment by subject — May 14, 2008 @ 9:06 pm
Insensitive maybe?
He doesn’t have any son or daughter to go through this NS thingy…
Comment by Zurena — May 14, 2008 @ 9:12 pm
Simple …. i will not send my son to hell. NS indeed is a failured, 16 lifes have lost. I will go court …
Comment by xtheman — May 14, 2008 @ 9:35 pm
Of course death of any person is determined by God….but it doesn’t clear us from the responsibilities & consequences of our actions! Those stupid fools!!!
Maybe check and see whether those BN MP’s children are joining NS? Not sure about this. If yes, they might be worried as well…otherwise, of course they’ll keep rejecting it..not their child that’s dead!
Comment by Shawn — May 14, 2008 @ 10:05 pm
Sigh, Rocky Bru’s said it best. With facts that can’t be denied.
Comment by peisheah — May 14, 2008 @ 10:11 pm
The link : http://harismibrahim.wordpress.com/2008/05/14/that-lee-lam-thye-fella-and-%e2%80%98the-system%e2%80%99/
Comment by peisheah — May 14, 2008 @ 10:11 pm
Before they ask anyone to go for NS those moron heads should go first and die first in there
they will never learn until something really big happens in the NS like maybe 5 deaths at one time
1 death is not enough for the morons
Comment by Anne — May 14, 2008 @ 10:33 pm
Well done Po Kuan.
We are all proud of you!!
First we’ll have to ged rid of Lam Thye, then the NS program itself will automatically unravel.
Comment by temenggong — May 14, 2008 @ 10:52 pm
so, Najib has to stop his idea (NS) to improve racial integration among the youth? and where is your idea for this racial improvement, Mrs MP?
nothing. you like to shout a lot, dont you? atleast Najib got an idea. while you have what? anger? it is very sad
Honestly, for me NS will not work. I prefer Sekolah Wawasan to this NS thing. Sekolah Wawasan can gather our kids together regardless of their races and religions. They can learn about each other since that young age. NS is a 3 month stint and I dont think it can wash away all those 17-18 years of rubbish in such short period. So, for me Sekolah Wawasan is a better option.
So, thats my idea. Najib got an idea. And where is yours, mrs MP? still nothing.
But this sekolah wawasan also will never be materialised. and you know rather perfectly well, mrs MP. u may ask me what the rubbish I am talking about, but I doubt it if you really dont know.
Death is, something unavoidable. Dont get me wrong, I do understand the horror of parents sending their children to NS, only to pick them dead. But, the only thing they could blame is fate.
please, if your concern over malaysia is REAL and VALID, present your version of racial integration programme.
ps- if Najib does not stop NS, which I dont think he will, then I suggest a much tighter health screening. No one will be spare to undergo NS though, but tigher health screening will give NS team more info about their trainee health condition and equip them with more emergency situation materials.
Comment by drMpower — May 14, 2008 @ 11:27 pm
Just do a search on Singapore Mindef website for “NSmen death” and you can see the difference on how the ministry handled this sensitive issue, consider that they have 2-year NS training in Singapore compare to the 3-month NS training in Malaysia
http://www.ns.sg/nsPortal/portlets/Search/iterate.do?pageNumber=2&pageSize=50&startIndex=0
Comment by ktak — May 15, 2008 @ 12:58 am
Once I was a first batch(2004) participant of NS i was appreciate that there was no any death case happening in my camp…Although some cases may happend accidently,but
why the cases still happening every year? NS had been held for 4 years already,but KERAJAAN still TAK BOLEH solve the problems…
Comment by eric — May 15, 2008 @ 1:10 am
To show their patriotism and confidence in the NS program, all Federal Ministers should set an example and voluntarily send their of-age children to attend camp. No favoritism, no special treatment, no more b.s. Just do it. Then you won’t face that much criticism from parents.
Comment by clearwater — May 15, 2008 @ 10:43 am
the money trail of the NS programme is also not known.
the speaker, DPM are first and foremost, wakil rakyat. if this is the degree of concern and effort they can muster for the taxpayers and rakyat, then it is dissappointing.
where is the priority? the safety of the children or the monetary and contractual obligations to the suppliers of the programme.
national unity is not built on putting children with different races together for 3 months. it is about equal and fair national policies, absence of fire stroking in MSM, promotion of interracial harmony is every aspect of daily lives. The NS camp is basically excluding majority of the population. WHat’s the point of intoxicating a few young people then throw then back into a society where racial equality is not really there?
also, how many of the ministers’ children and relatives been in the NS programme? are they treated just like the rest?
Comment by lee wee tak — May 15, 2008 @ 11:46 am
The NS programme is more important to some parties/individual as it generate $$$$$$ for them. Stop the NS programme means stopping their $$$$ generating machine.
No way, the government will stop this programme as it benefit alot of ITS PEOPLE and not so much to our young malaysian. So any NS trainee death is just a sorry state to them.
A waste to our tax payer money!!!!!
Comment by Leong WK — May 16, 2008 @ 2:00 am
I am not going to send my child to the NS hell camp! Given a choice.. we need a referendum on this.
I have a small poll 70 against and 2 pro. take a poll and i will make use of the result to do something… even if it is small..
http://shiokguy.blogspot.com
Cheer
Comment by Shiok Guy — May 17, 2008 @ 5:41 pm
hi YB,
what’s yr take on the bombing of DAP Ipoh HQ?
Comment by lee wee tak — May 18, 2008 @ 9:58 am
Bravo!! YB Poh Kuan, Raykat needs more MP like you in the Parliment , we salute & respect u, Keep up the good works, the BN MP just talk bull & lots of BS story!! ignore them & keep the pressure on to them, Thank you very much from the Raykat!!
Comment by Simon Tan — May 18, 2008 @ 6:24 pm
The DPM is still not willing to listen to the Rakyat. Maybe 4 years down the road he won’t have a chance to listen any more. He had not learn his mistake.
Comment by alex — May 18, 2008 @ 9:58 pm
You are one wonderful speaker. Saw you on you tube on how you grill others. Really good and im impressed.
Comment by PHilip — May 20, 2008 @ 2:09 am
DPM should be sent to NS Camp with OnkKT and SemiV for national integration. Show the man how to treat his supposedly ‘brothers-in-arm’ the meaning of not imposing ketuanan onto others!
Comment by disgruntled — May 20, 2008 @ 3:04 pm
if national integration is the purpose for NS, then it should start at the top of leadership where it is an open secret that the DPM is not treating their own supposedly brothers and sisters in MCA/MIC fairly, but as a tuan/hamba
Comment by disgruntled — May 20, 2008 @ 3:10 pm
Thank you Poh Kuan. Please keep up the good work and we really need to see this NS program stopped immediately!
Comment by EYL Overseas — May 20, 2008 @ 8:12 pm
death can happen anytime anywhere.i support an investigation of the reason of death,then we can conclude whether it is related to anything.
personally i think some people just dont like the idea of sacrificing for their nation,they just wanna exploit it.
Comment by anti-hypocrisy — June 22, 2008 @ 1:09 am