VVIP Children Excluded From National Service Programme. Any Truth To This?

The National Service Training Council (NSTC) has vehemently denied allegations that it deliberately excluded children of VVIPs from the national service training programme.

Its chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye dismissed the allegation that children of cabinet ministers, parliamentary secretaries and Members of Parliament were given special exemption from the programme.

"Our record shows that VVIP children have undergone the training," he told Bernama in an interview Saturday. Whoever have been randomly picked, regardless of whose children they are, will be required to do the training. There is no exception ," he said.

He explained that the identity of VVIP children who joined the NS training were usually not disclosed for security reason.

Lee said the council has received many inquiries from the public about the matter.

He said candidates could be exempted from training if they were suffering from mental illness, serving prison sentence, under preventive detention such as being remanded and those undergoing drug rehabilitation.

Those involved in juvenile cases and were detained under the Child Act 2001; and those who had communicable diseases such as leprosy and AIDS were also exempted.

Young mothers and the disabled are also excluded.

"We also give special exemption to those who suffer from illnesses which could be fatal such as cancer, liver cirrhosis and heart disease."

Lee said those who have been recruited into the police force, defence forces and customs were also not required to undergo national service training. (Bernama)

***** While I do not doubt Tan Sri Lee's denial, he could have been more convincing if he had come out with some details. I can fully understand the need for security precautions as far as VVIP children are concerned. Firstly he should have defined what a VVIP is before saying that their children's identity will not be disclosed. Is everyone even a Parliamentary Secretary considered a VVIP? What about senior civil servants and diplomats? BN party big shots? Chairmen of statutory bodies, Supreme and Appeals Court judges, senior members of the security services, multi-millionaire cronies? The list can go on and on.

Every child is precious, be it the son of a gardener or the scion of an aristocrat's family. By all means exempt those who very, very genuinely need to be exempted. If the NSTC has nothing to hide then reveal the names of all those VVIP children who have attended the programme thus far. What security implications can there be from disclosing that?
Picture Source.