The 'modified' national service proposal will be kept under wraps until the cabinet makes a final decision o­n it in May, Defence Minister Najib Abdul Razak said today.

The special cabinet committee set up to study the proposal is expected to submit its recommendations to the cabinet at the end of next month for tabling in Parliament in June.

"I won't say anything before a final decision is made by the government...I don't want to pre-empt it," he said.

Najib also declined to reveal other details o­n the amendments.

"We are still deliberating...so it is very hard for me to give you details o­n the final model for the national service," he told reporters at the Defence Ministry in Kuala Lumpur today after chairing the fourth meeting of the special cabinet committee o­n national service. Najib is chairperson of the committee.

The minister however reiterated that national service would be implemented from next year.

He added that public opinions o­n national service would still be taken into consideration even after the government has decided o­n details in May.

"We have obtained many feedback from various quarters and views and opinions are still welcomed after the government announces the final proposal," he told malaysiakini when approached after a press conference.

The youth wings of opposition parties had criticised the government for not making public the 'modified' national service proposal. They had called for a second public consultation after the proposal was amended.

'Selective' programme

Sin Chew Daily

reported last Monday that the government will now exclude students with excellent academic performance, technically skilled students and overseas students. Quoting sources, the paper said there will now be a 'selective' programme for national service.

In the initial proposal revealed last November, the programme was to start in 2004, lasting six months and involving all youths - including women and students studying abroad - aged 18 or students who have completed their SPM examinations.

The committee said earlier that national service is compulsory for all Malaysian youths and that a law will be introduced in that aspect. o­nly those medically unfit will be exempted. Others who try to avoid it will be punished under the act.

Najib said that the proposal drafted by the committee will be submitted to Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad immediately upon his return from his two-month leave in May.

"The programme will not be military training-based, it will focus more o­n the nation-building process like instilling patriotism, responsibility and other positive values," he said, adding that training centres and venues had yet to be identified.

Q&A o­n Monday

Najib said the committee, comprising five ministers and two deputy ministers from the ministries of Defence, Home, Education, Housing and Local Government, and the Prime Minister's Department will meet again soon to complete their drafting.

Four sub-committees - namely legislative, curriculum, financial and logistic - have been set up to draft out the details.

Meanwhile, the minister is expected to divulge more details o­n the programme next Monday in Parliament.

Two questions o­n this issue from Railey Haji Jeffrey (BN-Silam) and Badrul Hisham Abdul Aziz (BN-Hulu Langat) have been scheduled for the question-and-answer session that day.