PLKN deferment up to age 35 ‘a good option’

PETALING JAYA: A deferment option for the National Service Training Programme (PLKN) until the age 35 would allow for secondary school students to continue their tertiary studies without any hitches.

For Azalia Azman, having an option to postpone PLKN would be a benefit as she has set her sights on starting university studies early.

“I want to pursue studies in the medical field so I want to start studying as soon as possible.

“I am afraid that if I join PLKN and I receive an offer to study, it would disrupt my focus on SPM and entrance into university.

“It is great if I can just defer instead of panicking, and I have about a decade after school to worry about PLKN,” the boarding school student said, adding that she is planning to apply to both local and international universities.

Azalia, 15, however, hoped that going into a specific field of study would allow full exemption from PLKN.

“If I serve in the public sector, hopefully the government can consider exempting me, but I can only hope that I get into university first and then become a surgeon as planned,” she said.

Another secondary student, Nur Hidayah Amin, said many of her friends would choose to defer PLKN to “escape” the training.

The 15-year-old suggested that the government, teachers or parents need to properly educate youths on what PLKN entails.

“I read online that everyone is terrified of joining PLKN, but I saw some of those who went to the training had had a great time.

“It’s confusing for me since I am already intimidated going into Form Four next year, and then facing SPM, and now PLKN.

“Perhaps someone older providing us some wisdom would be reassuring for me to consider joining PLKN,” she said, adding that she has been reading personal anecdotes about PLKN on social media.

Nur Hidayah also said the training should allow students to volunteer to join instead of being compelled to participate.

“We now have online resources to research about things, so if something is not great, not many are willing join the programme,” she said.

Form Four student Danish Saifuddin said PLKN would be a great opportunity to spend his free time while waiting for offers from tertiary institutions after SPM.

He said spending 45 days with his peers from other states might provide him with valuable experience before going off to university.