Abd Karim weighs in on abolition of PLKN

August 15, 2018

SIBU: The abolition of the National Service Training Programme (PLKN) has its pros and cons, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah opines.

“Scrapping the programme is a good move if the cost is too high.

“However, PLKN is one of the best programmes to instil patriotism, unity among races, discipline and integration,” he said when asked to comment on Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman’s statement that the government had decided to abolish the PLKN and the National Civics Bureau (BTN) with immediate effect.

Abdul Karim frowns on plan to equip NS trainees with work skills

September 6, 2015

SIBU: The National Service Training Programme (PLKN) should be kept strictly to its original objective of inculcating patriotism among youths, rather than a place to train recruits in technical skills.

“I believe they should not ‘rojak’ PLKN as a place to train recruits in technical skills for work,” Assistant Minister of Youth Development and Asajaya assemblyman Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah told thesundaypost yesterday.

“PLKN was set up, I believe, to build patriotism among youths and for harmonious inter racial interaction among ethnic races in Malaysia.

“It was formulated then because the gap between the various racial ethnic groups seemed to be widening.

“They should keep PLKN strictly to these original objectives and don’t turn it into a vocational or technical college, or institution,” Abdul Karim said.

“There are many vocational and technical colleges around for this purpose. If they want to teach recruits certain human and life skills, do it, but it must not divert from its original objectives.”

He was asked about a Bernama report that PLKN 2.0, which starts in January next year, would see trainees who cannot enter university pick up useful work skills.