Moulding the country’s future

AN Italian proverb reads: “Wealth conquered Rome after Rome had conquered the world”.

Rome was not built in a day. It was built on a foundation to last, to inspire, to conquer.

We know this from those who have visited it. We know it from the many movies made of and in Rome. We also know this from literature written about Rome. It took hundreds of years before a shining kingdom was built.

Like Rome, Malaysia needs to go through its motions to build its strength, substance and durable brand.

The essence to our strength is in our unity. Unity drives national development as well as development of future leaders. Unity imbues the spirit of patriotism in us.

It is based on this vision that the Government started the National Service (NS) programme.

It was conceived from a vision to strengthen the spirit of patriotism and unity in the hearts and minds of Malaysian youth.

A continuation of our 11 years of schooling, the three-month intensive programme is designed to institute the will to make it, irrespective of colour, race, religion, gender, creed and the odds.

In facing the fast and furious lanes of globalisation, Malaysia needs its generations Y and Z to stand sentinel to the nation’s sovereignty and safety.

It is thus incumbent upon the country to prepare our youth to face the moving targets of globalisation.

It is our moral duty to strengthen our future leaders with the tools of resilience and perseverance. This thus became the basis of National Service’s virtues.

Our youth constitute 60% of the Malaysian population today. Their talents and energies thus are pivotal and integral to the future of Malaysia.

In the final analysis, NS is envisioned to develop young patriotic leaders able to assimilate and integrate in a multi-racial society locally and globally.

The training drives the integration of the various races and their essential and unique roles in nation-building.

NS focuses and stresses on the building of tangible and intangible traits that make the character of a good leader unflagging in patriotism, emphasising racial harmony and moulding strength in individuals to face challenges under all circumstances.

The programme was custom-made for 18-year-olds awaiting their exam results.

In the past, most of these students would opt for other activities such as short-term employment. Some well-to-do parents would in this time register their children to attend short courses or send them on a vacation.

But in this time, too, some fall prey to social ills and/or anti-establishment activities.

NS is not a military-intensive training programme. It is not a recruitment programme for our military in times of war. It has been designed to ensure our youth are versatile in any given environment.

It has also been designed to ensure we develop and imbue character in our leaders of tomorrow.

It was designed to develop the future of Malaysia through its young.

PLKN has four modules conducted over three weeks each — physical training, nation-building, character-building and community service.

All four modules are designed to inculcate good communication skills on a variety of issues.

It also helps participants to engage with people they may not have met. The NS trainees are also paid a monthly incentive for participating in the programme.

The training focuses on qualities like leadership skills, working in a team and decision-making.

These are qualities often expected by prospective employers when seeking employment. The training also focuses on physical training, a modified military drill aimed at building resilience.

No doubt PLKN has received much criticism. It has had several mishaps. We need to improve where we could have done better.

The vision of the programme remains — the essence for what will contribute to the makings of a stronger Malaysia.

The ministry is working hard on enhancing the quality of the programme each year. Through NS, Malaysia hopes to mould future leaders of high self-esteem who would be well-exposed and rounded.

Academic qualifications alone will not determine success. They must be augmented with strength of character, resilience and versatility. The Government places much focus and hope on our young.

The quality of human capital today is not just defined by qualification but by character, skills, talents, ingenuity, oratory, emotional quotient and intelligence, to name a few.

The great arise out of small things that are honoured and cared for. The paradox is that the foundation for greatness is the honouring of small things today instead of pursuing ideas of greatness.

In the instance of a nation, its greatness lies in honouring its youth, in equipping its children for tomorrow’s realities.

Like Rome, the greatness of Malaysia will be defined by how much we invest today in our youth. Only when we gain strength in our nation, will prosperity ensue.

> Datuk Abu Bakar Abdullah ([email protected]) is the secretary-general of the Defence Ministry and he welcomes feedback at his e-mail.