How Many Times Have We Heard This Assurance?

National Service Department director-general Abdul Hadi Awang Kechil has assured parents whose children will join the next batch of NS trainees that the department had taken necessary steps to ensure that the trainees would not face any problem while participating in the three-month programme.

The next batch of more than 30,000 trainees is scheduled to register at the NS camps on March 17.

Hadi said the most important thing that the parents could do was to ensure that their children make a sincere health declaration so that those with certain illnesses could be referred to the doctors.

"In general, I'm confident (there will be no problems) as we have done our best to overcome all the problems," he said after closing the NS programme at the Cahaya Gemilang camp in Cherating today. Among the problems that have been tackled are health, safety and transportation. (NST)

***** Any takers for this assurance from the DG? As far as I can see the conditions have marginally improved from the very first session. In typical government department fashion, changes have been implemented at snail's pace. However since the public is directly involved in this 'venture,' all the bungling and blundering have come out in the open. Otherwise it would have been cleverly covered-up and buried. If given half-a-chance these softheads would claim that the entire project has been an unprecedented success and even deny that trainees had died. Alas, people are more aware now and not so trusting of the pegawai kerajaan's words of comfort.

Apart from "health, safety and transportation," the other outstanding complaint is of the poor quality of food served. Obviously some crony caterer is making a helluva lot of money at the trainees' expense by serving sub-standard meals. Also is the worry that not enough programmes to promote racial interaction and integration among trainees is being organised.

The National Service Department should either shape up big time or ship out the entire NS programme.
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Earlier related post: Is This National Service Efficiency?