When the National Service was launched several years ago, as a parent, I supported the initiative. After all, I had always believed that the kids of today lacked the toughness in their character. A bit of National Service where they were be put through some physical, motivational and leadership training couldn't do them any worse. When my daughter missed the chance to be called up for National Service about four years ago, I was disappointed.
Today, I'm not too sure. As a parent, I'm not so eager to support National Service anymore. We've been hearing of horror stories emerging from the camps. Of bullying, trainees falling sick with delays in medical treatment and, of course, unexplained deaths.
In Friday's newspapers, for instance, prominence was given to the latest unexplained death of a National Service trainee. How can this girl end up dead? Constipation seems hardly the reason; symptom of something, maybe, but hardly the cause. Why was medical treatment not given immediately? And on the same page, news of a mysterious fever that landed 80 trainees in hospital. Why, why, why?
I'll be a very concerned parent indeed. And I'll support any call for the National Service to be suspended immediately. There have been too many bad press and both the government and the National Service Training Department must be sensitive to them.
If not, it speaks of arrogance and being out of tune with the people's concern. Don't insist that the programme will not even be suspended "just because of one or two deaths (this year)" (NewStraitsTimes, 10 May 2008). It is a bloody fool who thinks he can still play with people's lives. Has he shown any concern? Does he even care? He should be suspended immediately from this position for making this uncalled for outburst.
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