TUARAN: Beginning this year, the 1Malaysia concept will be integrated in the National Service (NS) learning and training programme to ensure Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s objectives are achieved.It will be launched on Jan 15, by Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, in conjunction with the programme’s launch for the year, said National Service Training Department director-general Datuk Abdul Hadi Awang Kechil yesterday.
“The NS programme is based on 1Malaysia, but has not been mentioned as the 1Malaysia concept.
“With this launch, the concept will be emphasised so trainees can work on it, from time to time,” he told reporters during his visit to the KK Di Bawah Bayu camp here.
Abdul Hadi has been stressing that the 1Malaysia concept this year will strengthen the teaching of the integration subject introduced in 2008.
He said trainees would be taught by university lecturers on cross-religion, cross-customs and cross-gender to help them understand and respect racial and religious differences for a harmonious community.
In another development, Abdul Hadi said the seventh NS series which began on Jan 2, would allow trainees to go home for Chinese New Year from Feb 12 to 16.
Regarding his visit to the KK Di Bawah Bayu camp, he said the camp was selected for his first visit this year, based on a variety of ethnicities found there.
He said, 19 ethnicities and other races, besides Malays, Chinese and Indians, made up the 378 trainees at the camp.
Abdul Hadi said trainees at the camp were among 30,903 taking part in the three-month programme for the 7/2010 session, in 79 camps nationwide.
He said about 120,000 trainees were selected to take part in the NS training programme this year. — Bernama