So the national service is to be implemented come February 2004 - the cost, a staggering RM500 million. Is there some sinister agenda behind this? Why the secrecy? Is it really about instilling patriotism, sense of unity and loyalty in our children?

I as a non-Muslim parent would like to ask pertinent questions regarding the implementation of this 'rushed through project'. If it is to instil loyalty by serving in an uniformed body, I after serving 26 years in an elite fighting unit - having risked life and limb for this country - do not have feelings of loyalty towards this country.

Why? I have been used and discriminated against. Loyalty, I had, but that was snuffed out of me, leaving me with lingering resentment. Most non-Muslim parents do not know much about the military service, and on their behalf, I would like to raise valid and legitimate questions, after all, it is our tax money.

Does the national service organisation have professional and impartial instructors? I doubt it. Why? Take for instance, General (Rtd) Zaini Mohamed Said, who gave a directive not allowing non-Muslim soldiers to pray in camps. Please refer to my letter to malaysiakini, " Soldiers not allowed to pray " in February 2002.

This directive was issued after a discussion with his disgraced boss General (Rtd) Md Noh Che Arshad, who was then chief of army (disgraced - asked to leave the service for taking kick backs). All these generals are from the Royal Malay Regiment the largest infantry organisation in the Malaysian military and the most polarised, as all are Malays, only Malays serve in these regiment.

The majority of instructors in the military training establishments are from this unit. They would not have an inkling about religious and racial tolerance, it will even be worse down the ranks. If you have bigots at the highest levels of the military, my question is how on earth are they going to provide 'non-racist' instructors for our precious impressionable young teens.

Soldiers of whatever religious persuasions whilst on parades are forced to raise their hands like Muslims during the saying of the grace (doa selamat). They do not have a choice or they are marked men, but then they serve by choice. The pathetic excuse given is that it is for uniformity.

What about our children? To me the children will have a choice, as they have been conscripted (by decree), they do not have to raise their hands come what may, unless they have a joint saying of grace like in the US or the Indian Army. I would feel very offended if my child was forced to raise her or his hands. I will not allow it nor stand for it.

Is there any thought or effort going to be made for the religious needs of the non-Muslims - Sundays for Christians, Tuesdays or Fridays for Hindus and for people of other religious beliefs. Will the training programme cater for this need? For the Muslim conscript, this will be catered for as seen from the training programme for the Malaysian Military Academy, or Atma. If you notice here you do not see a semblance of anything to cater for the non-Muslims.

This is the moment to make big bucks too. The army insists that all officers wear and use a certain brand of belts from the UK, meaning the Sam Browne belt - each costs something in the region of RM300-plus. Only that is allowed, all others are not. The poor officers cry when paying for them. RM300 might be a paltry sum for some, but paltry too is the pay.

The same applies to shoes. The list goes on and that is only the tip of the iceberg. Probably Umno needs to raise funds for the soon-to-be called general election. What better way than through the RM500 million?

I believe at the end of the day if all these unequal treatments are not addressed, the conscripts will come out feeling like second-class citizens. Not only that, it multiplies the ill-feelings of the parents too towards the country. Parents are unforgiving, if the above is not addressed seriously, the by-products for these will be not loyal patriots. Is anybody out there listening?