PRECAUTIONS AGAINST H1NI IN ALL NS CAMPS

SIBU (Malaysia), Nov 23 (Bernama) -- Parents have once again been reminded
that they have nothing to fear about the influenza A (H1N1) when sending their
children for the national service training programme next year.

National Service Department Director-General Awang Hadi Awang Kechil said
every precaution and preventive measures of the Health Ministry would be put in
place in all the 82 camps nationwide.

Beginning January, 38,000 trainees will attend the first session, 42,000 for
the second in March and 40,000 for the third in June.

In addition, 26,000 others who had postponed their training will join
programme and be spread out over the three sessions.

Awang Hadi told reporters this here, a city in East Malaysia State of
Sarawak, Sunday night after attending a dinner with a camp operator and his
staff.

"We will always be in close contact with the Health Ministry. We will always
monitor all of our camps for cleanliness as well as the health of all of our
trainees.

"We have experience in managing sickness where 40 camps were ordered to be
closed for a week and there was no problem with any of the trainees," he
said.

In addition, Awang Hadi said every camp would have five health officials
each and every advice and directive given would be strictly followed.

On another issue, he believed the national service training was one of the
best channels to promote the 1Malaysia Concept.

"Among others, we teach them to be patriotic and united as fellow
Malaysians.

"We also want them to be law abiding citizen and future leaders. In short,
we are very proud to be able to contribute to the 1Malaysia concept" he said.

He said to-date some 440,000 young Malaysians had participated in the
training. They are 17-year-old youths that are selectively drafted. The
three-month programme, which started in December 2003, began as way to encourage
friendship between youths of certain ages from different races and ethnic groups
and address concerns that the country's various races were becoming increasingly
isolated from one another.
-- BERNAMA