The government has no plans yet to segregate National Service (NS) trainees according to gender, said Deputy Defence Minister Abdul Rahim Bakri.

He said this was because the objective of the National Service Training Programme was to foster mutual understanding and respect among the various races to boost racial harmony.

Abdul Rahim ( left ) said, however, in terms of activities, there was gender segregation at cafeterias, rest areas and living quarters to prevent untoward incidents from happening.

"Religious and moral values are also instilled in trainees at NS camps to shield them from negative elements," he said when winding up debate on the Supply Bill 2015 for his ministry in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.

He added that in the NS Training Programme there were also modules which covered on character and the role men and women shouldered.

Recently there had been calls by some quarters for separate NS camps for men and women trainees.

On other matters, Abdul Rahim said that there was still lacklustre interest among non-bumiputera youths to join the Armed Forces, particularly the army, despite various initiatives taken.

However, he said the Defence Ministry had not given up on this and was intensifying efforts to rectify the situation.

He also told the House that from January till September, his ministry disposed off 131 military assets that no longer met needs for RM4.4 million while in 2013, 182 such assets were sold, fetching RM9.08 million.

- Bernama