After more than six years since the introduction of the three-month national service program (which started in December 2003), we constantly heard of numerous teething problems reported by the media. But the recent revelation by Council Chairman on the occurrence of fights in camps among participants principally due to cultural differences raise lots of questions to the perceived achievement of the program’s objective.
DPM, Tan Sri Muhyidin Yassin, raised the possibility of abolishing the UPSR and PMR recently as part of the part of government efforts to restructure the learning system which was seen as too examination oriented and failed to provide a holistic education.
Outrage over fiery death
Over time, we have always come across news of failure of society to come to the assistance of another fellow being in need. We are good at condemning the act of others but have we ever took the time to reflect on ourselves and are we always ready to assist others in times of need. The recent report over the untimely and fiery death of a woman in her car after petrol kiosk after attendants refused to lend fire extinguishers to save her became another public outcry over the behavior of our society. What has become of our society?? Where are we heading to? Are we no longer a caring society? Is this the price of development that we have to bear?
Living in hopelessness, that’s what the Gazans must have felt when the United Nations Security Council once again failed to take any tangible action over Israel’s raid on the humanitarian flotilla in international waters and killing humanitarian activists. What comes out of the “urgent UNSC meeting” was a resolution that entails “status quo”. The meeting was being held more to show that they acted due to the outpouring international criticisms. Its more to protect their respective stature in the eyes of the international community and not that they really care for the citizens of Palestine and the Gazans for that matter. The issue of Palestine is lost in the complicity of international politics.
