Friends two decades on
They first met as fresh-faced 18-year-olds. Two decades on, meeting each other again as successful adults, the country’s first batch of National Service Training Programme (PLKN) trainees excitedly celebrated the precious friendships forged.

Reminiscing about the carefree days and the challenges at camp, the 38-year-olds spoke fondly about the discipline and good habits they picked up during their three months in training.

While there are also those who drifted apart, Sindhu Nair said she still keeps in touch with some of her campmates, including those who have moved abroad.

“Some of us lost contact because telephone numbers changed over the years.

“One has relocated to Melbourne, Australia, but we are still connected, thanks to social media.

“It is exciting to meet up with my friends again today although I didn’t recognise some of them at first,” she said at her cohort’s reunion lunch on Feb 25 in Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

The senior lecturer and clinical psychologist said it is not only the friendships that have stayed with her through the years, but also the lessons learnt at camp.

“There was something a facilitator told us during the nationality module – If you want to do something, just do it. Don’t have regrets,” she said, adding that as an introvert, these words helped push her to become more confident.“My mother said I was a completely different person after returning from camp!”

Sindhu was among 800 trainees who were part of the first batch of PLKN trainees based in Kuala Kubu Bharu. It was the only camp in Selangor at that time.

Called Kem Bina Semangat, it was there that the PLKN programme was launched by former prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on Feb 22, 2004.

PLKN was introduced as a compulsory three-month programme, involving a random selection of youths who had turned 18.

It was halted in 2015 before being reintroduced the following year, with participation made optional by 2019. The programme, however, was scrapped in August 2018.

A pilot of PLKN 3.0 will begin this year involving Form Four students, Ledang MP Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh said on March 13.

Syed Ibrahim, a member of the Parliamentary Special Select Committee on Security, said the pilot programme will only involve basic training, mostly on elements of nationalism.

The full PLKN 3.0 training will begin next year, as the Defence Ministry is still in the midst of finalising details.

Lawyer Koh Hui Xing said it was great meeting up with everyone again after 20 long years.

“It’s not easy keeping a bond for so long,” she said, adding that the most important thing the group learnt from the camp activities was discipline and teamwork.

“We had to wake up early for the morning roll calls or to do the flying fox,” she shared.

For Sanmugapriya Jayasimhan, PLKN was an opportunity to make new friends whose backgrounds were different from hers.“I had a lot of friends from different races in my Chinese school but when I went for camp, my circle included people from East Malaysia, Kelantan and Terengganu.

“Initially, I could not understand the Bahasa Malaysia spoken by those from Kelantan and Terengganu because of the different dialects.

“But over time, it became easier,” she said.

Sanmugapriya still keeps in touch with her friends from camp and would meet up with them whenever she travels to their hometowns.

The mother of two who runs her own baking business did not hesitate when asked if she would want her children to be part of PLKN.

“I’d definitely encourage them to go if they are selected because I benefited from my stint.

“It is a life-changing experience. You build connections and learn to communicate,” she said.

Unit trust consultant and life planner Yeoh Keat Keng said he volunteered to take part in PLKN because he wanted to experience “the army lifestyle.”

“PLKN opened my eyes to different people and their cultures, especially those from East Malaysia,” said the Klang native.

While he did not keep in touch with everyone initially, Yeoh said it is easier to do so now with online messaging platforms.

The main purpose of PLKN is bonding, fellowship and interaction through activities, said former camp director Michael Yei, 69, who also attended the gathering.

“I made sure that each sleeping tent housed a fair mix of all races. It would be good if more trainees from this batch could reconnect with us via the ‘Official Alumni of PLKN KKB Siri 01/2004’ Facebook page,” he said.
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Strong bonds forged from national service.