M'SIA'S NS PROGRAMME MAY BE INTRODUCED IN INDONESIA

SEREMBAN (Malaysia), May 26 (Bernama) -- Indonesia might emulate Malaysia's
National Service (NS) Training Programme, if a proposal to the effect by the
republic's ambassador to Malaysia Da'i Bachtiar gets the nod from Jakarta.

Malaysia's Defence Minister Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the ambassador
expressed this during a meeting with him at his (Zahid's) office in the federal
capital Monday.

"He expressed the wish to study Malaysia's NS model and wants to propose
that it be adopted in the country but in the Indonesian mould," Ahmad Zahid told
reporters after launching a programme to involve the NS in civil defence at the
Seri Perkasa NS camp here.

He added that he had also invited Da'i Bachtiar to visit NS camps in the
country to see for himself the effectiveness of the programme.

On today's programme, Zahid said it would allow NS trainees who completed
their training stints to become civil defence volunteers.

He also said the NS Training department was looking into the possibility of
awarding a pin or badge of honour for trainees who successfuly completed their
NS courses.

Meanwhile, on issue of Chin Peng, Zahid said he was firmly against the
leader of the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) being allowed to set up home in
Malaysia.

"Allowing former CPM leaders to return (to Malaysia) will hurt those who
fought against them and also the next-of-kin those who died during the
Emergency. It is a matter of patriotism," he said.

Chin Peng has expressed the hope to live the remaing days of his life in
Malaysia. He and other leaders of the CPM are mostly domiciled in Thailand at
present.
--BERNAMA