The Malaysian Armed Forces veterans have suggested that the implementation of the National Service Training Programme should involve their members, who have experience in the military to ensure smooth running of the programme.

National Veterans Council member Ahmad Maslan said veterans could serve as instructors or in other capacities at the national service camps to be held at selected military camps across the country.

Ahmad, who is also deputy finance minister I, added that veterans not only had experience in the military field but also specific skills in certain fields that they could pass on during the programme.

"National service, which has been proposed to be conducted at military camps, will give veterans the opportunity to be deployed as instructors. Apart from that, 2,000 community ranger positions are also open to them.

"The government has also increased job opportunities for military and police veterans, Orang Asli and local communities when it announced that it would increase the number of community ranger posts to 2,000,” he said.

Ahmad said this after the state-level Armed Forces Veteran Housing initiative’s key handover ceremony in Ayer Baloi, today.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, when tabling Budget 2024 at the Dewan Rakyat yesterday, said the number of community ranger posts would be increased to 2,000 from the current 1,000, to strengthen enforcement in permanent forest reserve areas.

On Oct 9, the government agreed to reinstate the national service, which was abolished in 2018, but with a different method from before, with the youth being trained in military camps.

Referring to the housing initiative, Ahmad said since 2021, a total of 99 houses had been built with an allocation of RM6.5 million, while the government had spent more than RM8 million to repair 554 houses.

“The initiative to build and renovate veterans’ homes will continue to help those who were poor or with low incomes by providing them with a more conducive and comfortable place to live in,” he said.

- Bernama