The National Service Department Director, Datuk Yahya, stated that the government is also amending relevant laws to require employers to allow employees selected to participate in the national service program to report to the camp and complete the training on schedule.
He said that Malaysian citizens over the age of 17 who do not continue their studies will be trained at reserve military camps after being selected for the program. If they are already employed, the government will compel employers to allow employees to complete the 45-day training program.
He noted that authorities are discussing with employers prior to enacting this law, and actually some employers are very eager for their employees to undergo national service training so that they can employ more disciplined staff.
As for students continuing their education after the Malaysian Education Certificate (SPM), Yahya said that those entering government educational institutions will receive training at their respective institutions, while those who do not continue their studies or study at private institutions must undergo 45 days of training at reserve military camps.
Nonetheless, he mentioned that the Ministry of Higher Education is currently negotiating with private educational institutions, hoping they can join the training program, allowing students studying at private institutions to complete the training smoothly.
In response to whether students can be exempted from the program if private educational institutions do not join the program and students are selected for the national service program, Yahya stated that students will still need to report to the national service program and complete the training after completing their tertiary education.
“Therefore, we hope private educational institutions can participate in this program, so students can complete the training during their academic period.”
Yahya mentioned that National Service Program 3.0 is different from the previous two programs, with the training period shortened to 45 days or 204 hours, and the training models differ slightly between students training at reserve military camps and those at government university campuses.
He explained that students training at camps will undergo round-the-clock training courses within 45 days, while government university students will complete the training over one to two semesters.
As for why not mandatory for all Malaysian citizens aged 17 and above to participate in the national service program, he stated that the authorities also wish for all eligible citizens to participate. However, due to camp capacity and resource limitations, it is not possible to provide training for every eligible citizen.