A Barisan Nasional (BN) backbencher is worried that the firearms training for National Service trainees could result in the government shooting itself on the foot.

In debating the 2006 Budget in Parliament yesterday, Suhaili Abdul Rahman (BN-Labuan) said the training could be exploited by the unemployed and those with no intention to further their studies.

"I am worried that the government has spent so much money on the programme but may get negative results later... our wish to train them to be responsible may turn out to be producing trained criminals," he added

In view of this, he called on the government to organise follow-up programmes for the trainees or recruit the unemployed and those not interested in studying into the territorial army or voluntary police unit.

He also proposed that a special body be set up to plan the follow-up activities and monitor the trainees after their three-month stint.

The firearms training , introduced in six out of the 76 camps nationwide two months ago, had come under fire from various quarters.

Allocation woes

Meanwhile, Suhaili also complained about the late disbursement of allocations from the treasury.

He claimed that this situation had come about from the 'pirates' and 'taiko-taiko' (thugs) within the treasury but did not elaborate.

The backbencher, who is also the Labuan Corporation president, cited his corporation as an example.

According to him, the corporation was allocated RM50.8 million for development in the last budget but had only received RM12.8 million to date.

On another occasion, he claimed the corporation did not even receive the allocation provided.

"I hope the finance minister (Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) could look into this, whether what has been approved (in the budget) would really be disbursed later?" he appealed.

At this juncture, Badruddin Amiruddin (BN-Jerai) interjected, saying: "We are afraid that the allocations were approved but half of them were not disbursed accordingly."

Hasni Mohammad (BN-Pontian) also urged the treasury to eliminate the bureaucracy in the allocation process.