Wednesday 14 May 2008

What's so urgent about debate to end National Service, huh?

Update: 9.00pm

NS Training Programme To Continue, Says Najib

KUALA LUMPUR, May 14 (Bernama) -- The government is to continue with the National Service Training Programme despite calls to scrap it following the deaths of 16 trainees since the programme was launched in 2004.

Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the number of deaths was a small percentage compared to the 339,186 trainees who had benefited from the programme up to now.

He also said that 11 of the trainees had died during training and five during their holiday break. Of the 11 deaths, seven were caused by ailments and four were due to accidents, he added. Read here

Earlier story:

Dewan Rakyat Rejects Motion Seeking Debate To End To National Service

The Dewan Rakyat today (May 13) rejected a motion seeking a debate on the immediate termination of the National Service Training Programme due to what Was referred as many problems, particularly involving the safety of Trainees

Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia said the motion, tabled by Fong Po Kuan (DAP-Batu Gajah), was rejected as there was no urgency because the Defence Ministry had taken various measures to ensure a high level of safety of the trainees..

“The motion was rejected because members of parliament will have ample opportunity to raise the matter during the debate on the motion of thanks for the royal address,” he said. The NST

(Can you beat that? Is that the best answer he could come up with? The same standard reply, it's like hearing the same old record being played again and again and again. "...because the Defense Ministry had taken VARIOUS MEASURES TO ENSURE A HIGH LEVEL OF SAFETY OF THE TRAINEES..." Not urgent? Don"t know whether to cry or laugh. Hello Mr Speaker sir, 16 already died during training since the NS started? How do you explain that? MORON! BODOH! I hope the Batu Gajah MP will pursue the matter and not give up, We're counting on you!)

14 comments:

Unknown said...

Dear Kak Ton,

I m very angry too.. How many more deaths do we need to stop this wasteful NS programme? 100 sound OK?
The NS has not benefited young Malaysian.
Its not a clever idea to begin with... It moronic

mn said...

A.kum Kak Maria,

1. NST=National Service Training or New Strait Times?

2. Samer ajer.

3. Kadang-kadang agenda lain buat lain. Kadang-kadang tulis lain tujuan lain.

http://www.penyokong-kj.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

Salam akak...

I saw a report in the paper that mentioned last year alone the deaths totalled to 21...but i guess the number is not the issue here kan...the issue how can there life calamity like that? sure it's not a fool-proof project...something thorough needs to be done.

Again, I want to echo you. This time LOUD & CLEAR: BODOOOOOOHHHH! Nak tunggu yang meninggal tu anak dia baru nak cease kan ke? Inilah reactive government kak! tak paham maksud pro-active langsung! LANGSUNG!

Anonymous said...

Tok Mommy,
This "denial disease" carried by AAB&Co. is really infectious! The speaker obviously has been "infected"; come to think of it, the whole gomen is infected by it these past four years... just look at the attitude & mentality of most of our gomen staffs?! Looks like a good time for an "antibiotic" in the form of "the opposition" to take over for whatever its worth?

Anonymous said...

Our southern neighbor has had 41 years of National Service compulsory program.
But no female has ever been included into it. And it takes 2.5 years to complete the compulsory program. Compare them with us...3 months of an outward bound school like program is actually chicken feed.

The first thing the govt. should do is to make health check compulsory to avoid complications later.Of course this will make NS a whole lot costly to maintain.

CULA TUPAI said...

TOK MOMMY & SEMUA,

SELAGI NEGARA DI PERINTAH UMNo/BN , DULU KINI DAN SELAMANYA ... DI BAWAH PEMIMPIN YANG ZALIM DAN TIDAK BERPERIKEMA'ANUSIAAN , JAHIL , SOMBONG, JAHAT, BUSUK HATI, TIDAK BERILMU, TIDAK BERHATI PERUT DAN MEREKA HANYA FIKIR WANG NYAWA RAKYAT TIDAK ERTI BAGI MEREKA... SAMA SAMA LAH KITA BERDOA AGAR KERAJAAN PAKATAN RAKYAT DAPAT DI TUBUH DENGAN SEGERA, BARU LAH SEGALA KEMUNGKARAN AKAN BERAKHIR DI DALAM NEGARA KITA INI, INSYA'LLAH. AMIN....

Anonymous said...

time to stop this programme.
lee lam tye - resign lar!!
u tak malu kar??
tak kan tak ada maruah!!!???

Anonymous said...

Kak

I'm surprised that you have the news article here, because I couldn't find any follow-up on this issue on the StarOnline. I even used the search engine on their site, and found nothing.

Back to the issue at hand, it's indeed very rash (and typical too) of them to just shrug it off like some other issue, and say that they have other more "pressing issues" to address to, and not to indulge in such 'petty matters'.

I guess "a few deaths" doesn't really warrant an "urgency" at all.

Absolutely ridiculous.

maria a samad (kak ton) said...

Hi Michelle,

Actually that was a Dewan Rakyat report by BERNAMA and carried by the NST.

I think the Star must have missed or overlooked it.

I was on the lookout for the news because the MP for Batu Gajah mentioned last Friday following Hui Min's death that she'd be tabling the motion this week.

Hi&Lo said...

Kak Ton,

Miss Too was the 21st casualty since its inception. Pattern more or less similar. Sick for few days before sent to hospital. Then died.

Doesn't it tell us the urgency to address the issue of hazards in the camp so that recurrence can be prevented?

Anonymous said...

Amin & Mulia ( Truthful & Noble ) but seems like all his words & intention are far from that...

Anonymous said...

Dear Tok Mommym

I am angry and at the same time sad that Najib is not listenining to the cries of the rakyat.

You dont hear their pleas asking the Govt to stop the NS simply because their letters dont get published in the mainstream media.

But if only he checks the letters posted to Malaysiakini and around the blogs, the common people are against the NS.

"..We may not be able to scrap the programme just like that as many parties are involved..."

His latest response yesterday is similar to the one he replied last year in September.

Are these parties more important than the safety & lives of our children?

16 dead and the number might be more - 21 - as a commentator above, hi&lo, said.

How many more must die before it sinks into your head that the ill-conceived programme must be scrapped?

Anonymous said...

Sometimes it amazes me how did we ever end up with imbecile like this DPM who can utter something that is total dumbwit!!

I pray that no parent should ever have to go through the pain of losing their child but sometimes I wonder if our imbecile Minister would sing the same tune if he were to go through the same pain like these NS parents!!

Unknown said...

Ministerial Statement on the Recent Deaths of Three SAF Servicemen, by Minister for Defence, RADM(NS) Teo Chee Hean, Parliament Sitting
Posted: 16 Oct 2003, 0900 hours

http://www.mindef.gov.sg/imindef/news_and_events/nr/2003/oct/16oct03_nr.html

Speech by Dr Ng Eng Hen, Minister for Manpower and Second Minister for Defence, at Committee of Supply Debate on Defence Budget
Posted: 05 Mar 2007, 2115 hours

http://www.mindef.gov.sg/imindef/news_and_events/nr/2007/mar/05mar07_nr2.html#women

To read more, see
Singapore “NSmen death” search results from MinDef website:-

http://www.ns.sg/nsPortal/portlets/Search/iterate.do?pageNumber=2&pageSize=50&startIndex=0
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Parents entrust their sons/daughters to the government (ministry of defence) for NS training and would expect the safety aspect of the NS training to be adhered to at all time by the trainers and officers in charge of NS training.

Hence, all the parents want from the govt is the accountability of the training death: assurance that the death cases during NS training are properly and thouroughly investigated (preferably by independent committee of inquiry) to determine the cause of death and also to enable us to take all the necessary measures so that what can be prevented will not happen again.

If there is negligence found by those in charge of these trainees and those who do not adhere or comply to the operating procedure during NS training, then Attorney-General’s Chambers should proceed with criminal charges against these officers.

Are we, the parents, satisfied that all the above are taken seriously by our Defence Minister?

National Service call to parents
http://harismibrahim.wordpress.com/2008/05/13/national-service-call-to-parents/

That Lee Lam Thye fella and ‘the system’
http://harismibrahim.wordpress.com/2008/05/14/that-lee-lam-thye-fella-and-%e2%80%98the-system%e2%80%99/#comments

Najib doesn’t care if MORE children die under NS
http://jelas.info/2008/05/18/najib-doesnt-care-if-more-children-are-sent-to-their-death/

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