I have read with great interest the letters to the press by members of the public with regards to the Program Latihan Khidmat Negara (PKLN). Like the torpedoes which must be constantly guided and corrected for accurate homing, I believe feedback and views from members of the public, positive or otherwise, will serve the authorities of the PLKN in their effort to perfect the programme.

I am the father of a trainee enlisted for the said program in March 2006, and would like to share my experience and views of the the PLKN programme, and those of my daughter.

When my then 17-year-old daughter was selected at random for the programme, she was apprehensive about the idea of living in a camp somewhere in the jungle, while my wife and I were concerned for her safety and well-being in the camp even though we were aware of the benefits the trainees would receive in terms of character-building and in physical training.

I remember pacifying my wife when we were sending Charmaine off at the packed Johor Baru Larkin Stadium pick-up point, ‘It’s good for her. She will grow up with the training.’ Charmaine was in tears and confused when the bus moved on to Camp Sembrong near Ayer Hitam Johor, with her on board.

It was the longest period she had ever stayed away from the comfort of her home. ‘May be she will miss us?’ I told myself. When we met her during the May 1 holiday that year, she told us she did.

But more importantly, she also told us how she liked life at the camp and the comradeship she had with her peers and the care and concern she received from the trainers. She also enjoyed the weekly trips to a Batu Pahat Buddhist temple where Dharma talks and prayers sessions were organised for them. It was a pleasant surprise to note that the programme also catered for the spiritual well-being of the trainees, based on their respective religious inclinations.

When the three month training period was up, we travelled to the camp to bring her home. I had a lump in my throat seeing her in tears again and choking while bidding farewell to her trainers and her fellow trainees at the camp. I could tell that she really missed the life there and the people she had met at the camp. Months later, she was still cherishing her three months’ stint in the camp, and was communicating with the many new friends she had made.

According to Charmaine, the opportunity to live independently with discipline and the opportunity to get to know and appreciate the people of other races in the camp, were top in her list in terms of the benefits she derived from the national service training programme.

Seeing her becoming a more confident and a more disciplined girl after the programme, I realised that she must have had a great learning curve in character-building and that she is now more ready to face the world ahead of her. I am glad she was selected for the programme and I am thankful to the leadership and the organisers who had put the act together for the trainees and for the country.

As a past district governor of Lions Clubs International District 308 B1 Malaysia, which has organised many successful youth development and national unity programmess over the last 50 years, I certainly give credit to the PLKN.

I find it is my duty to give this feedback and to recognise the people leading this very important national-building programme. Besides giving credit where it is due, I hope my experience and views can provide comfort and confidence to other parents who are sending their children to the said training programme in future.