Year 2004

Tag: PLKN

Start of Malaysian National Service PLKN

Saturday, 14th February 2004

The first batch of about 25,000 Malaysian teenagers have started the inaugural compulsory three-month national-service stint aimed at promoting patriotism and ethnic unity.  The program had targeted some 480,000 Malaysians who were born in 1986. Of these 85,000 were randomly selected by a computer program for service which comprises of conscripts that are 17-year-old youths. It is known as PLKN or Program Latihan Khidmat Negara which can be literally translated as National Service Training Program or just known as NS, is a compulsory 3 months military service program for teenagers. Male trainees are called Wira and female are call Wirawatis. The spent 2 months in physical training camp, followed by a final month in a university setting. The 3 months program end in Early May 2004. The second batches will begin in March 2004 and ended in June 2004.