boon's log 0804.03
National Service Bloopers
I was reading the newspapers yesterday and there was a full 4 pages of write-up on the Registration Day for the National Service. I almost felt dizzy for continuously shaking my head as I read through them.

Read about the group in Klang (which i think is the worst!), where parents and NS trainees started waiting from (as early as) 5AM to 5PM for the bus to shuttle them to the campsite. The organizers or the people in-charge tried to calm the angered parents (who wouldn't) - so much so that they fled the scene!!! Goodness! Are these the people that we are entrusting our children to in the NS Camp? People who run away from responsibilities. I felt embarassed as I read through. The list goes on - poor coordination, wrong registration lists, communication breakdown (stranded in the airport), unclear instructions... it goes on and on.

I mean, something this BIG, you would expect more time and planning would have been poured into it. But it seem like there is none. What a shame. What a total shame...

Not to mention the quality of people that are ferrying the trainees around - 10 suffered injuries from the bus collision that happened in Lahat Datu because one NS bus crashed into another NS bus.

I would expect the NS to be a program that will instill discipline, good conduct and orderliness in the trainees. But following what happened on Registration Day yesterday, I guess there is nothing much to say about the program except that "expect the worst...".

Well, of course, the Department of National Service apologized but also pointed to trainees congregating at wrong pick-up points and bus operators that had caused "teething problems" (yeah, yeah, yeah). Well, if things were well planned, well informed and communicated, with a little more effort put into the entire project, I believe things would have run more smoothly...

boon out...