Aliran Media Statement
National Service: Serving the Nation or the Govt?
Aliran is deeply disturbed by the government�s indecent haste in pushing through the National Service Training Bill (2003) during the present session of Parliament without giving parliamentarians and the public sufficient time to debate the proposal, which has far-reaching implications for the youths and the nation as a whole.
Equally serious is the fact that the findings of four Cabinet sub-committees on curriculum, finance, logistics and law have not been disclosed for public discussion as it should be in a democracy. Needless to say, providing a public platform for this issue to be discussed is one of the ways of making citizens feel that they belong to the country and have a say in its running and its policiy formulations.
Furthermore, the sudden shift of emphasis from the proposal�s original objective of reinforcing national defence to promoting national integration requires a thorough rethinking of the entire exercise. This would involve in-depth discussions among civil society groups, concerned individuals and government representatives so that this project will not become an exercise in futility and wastage of public funds.
If the government�s professed concern is to arrest the apparent increase in ethnic segregation particularly among the youths, then it begs the question whether �national service� - which, among other things, would include military training - would really serve that purpose. Certainly, ethnic polarisation has underlying causes and cannot be corrected through a three-month stint by bringing youths of various ethnic backgrounds physically together.
These youths, like many of us in society, are very much the product of a social environment where certain policies, whether in education or culture, are perceived � rightly or wrongly � to be unjust and, therefore, divisive. These deep-seated problems cannot be remedied using a quick-fix approach.
In addition, the ethnic politics of mono-ethnic political parties only worsens the situation as it does not tackle the larger picture concerning national unity and harmony but only champions the interests of one ethnic group over others. In such a situation, primitive sentiments override patriotism and national unity.
The government also needs to clarify what it means by �patriotism� and �national unity� and invite a national debate on these ideas. In the past, the government has been unable to distinguish between love for the country and loyalty to the BN government, which are two entirely different things.
We therefore call upon the government to rethink the �national service� project. Instead of dumping resources into a programme of questionable worth, it should tackle the underlying causes of ethnic disunity in our society in a manner that is democratic, sober and holistic, with long-term solutions in mind.
Aliran Executive Committee
This statement was sent to the local media including The Star, New Straits Times, and The Sun.
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