http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/asia/story/0,4386,243766,00.html?
Fights, rioting in Malaysia's NS camps
National service scheme hit by racially motivated fights,
indiscipline, drugs and sexual relations in training camps
By Leslie Lau
MALAYSIA'S national service scheme, launched in the middle of
February, was supposed to be a three-month quick fix to promote
national integration.
But barely two months into training, reports are now surfacing of
rioting and fights in the camps.
Some of these could be racially motivated and there are other cases
of indiscipline.
Police have been called to several camps to sort out disputes
between trainees and even among trainers.
Drugs have been found in at least one training camp in Penang and
there are allegations of sexual relations in some camps.
Some trainers say there is also tension between groups of trainees
from different states in Malaysia.
Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak denied any racial motivation
in the reported fights and urged Malaysians not to overreact.
'Sometimes youths quarrel over small matters,' he said.
But the authorities are investigating the reports of indiscipline
in an attempt to ensure the success of the fledgling scheme.
At least three fights have broken out in the past week, and calls
were made to the police to help resolve the conflicts.
At a training camp in Perak, two separate groups of trainees fought
each other with plastic chairs.
No one was injured and no arrests were made after police officers
helped to settle the dispute.
At the same camp on Thursday, 18-year-old Lee Kin Fei from Ipoh and
13 fellow trainees were kicked and punched by a group of senior
trainees.
'One senior trainee pushed me down,' Mr Lee said. 'When one of my
friends questioned his action, the group of senior trainees
attacked us.'
He did not mention if the groups of trainees were from different
racial groups. But he said he and other trainees were assaulted
because they refused to pay a sum of money to the senior
trainees.
In Penang, camp officials found two tubes of methamphetamine
crystals in the bag of a female trainee.
Sources told The Straits Times that cases of sexual relations
between trainees have also been uncovered but it was not a
widespread problem.
The authorities say although most trainees are disciplined, the
fights and riots raised the concerns of parents pressing for
solutions to problems in various camps.
The national service scheme consists of three months of military
boot camp, community services and character building courses.
About 27,000 youngsters aged 18 began their compulsory national
service last month, the first of three batches of 85,000 selected
by computerised lottery.
The scheme was conceived by the administration of former prime
minister Mahathir Mohamad to reverse years of racial
polarisation.
