Abandoned, turned to detention centres and army camps: A look at former National Service sites ahead of revival

KUALA LUMPUR, May 21 — Around 15 minutes drive from Gopeng, Perak is a sleepy village called Lawan Kuda, and if you were not looking for it you would probably miss a dirt road off the main road that could only fit one vehicle at a time.

After a two-km drive along vegetable farms and trash dumping sites, Malay Mail was greeted by a yellow arch above a closed red metal gate and a run-down guard post, announcing what was once the “Gemilang Leadership Camp”.

On the top of the arch were two logos now covered by overgrown bushes showing the camp’s old identity: the logo of the now-defunct National Service Training Programme (PLKN).

From just outside the gate, the remnants of a red flying fox pole could be seen — long ruined by the elements. Since attempts to reach the owner failed, Malay Mail moved to a similar camp in Sauk, near Kuala Kangsar, Perak.

Overgrown foliage at the former Kepimpinan Gemilang National Service (NS) camp in Lawan Kuda, Gopeng. — Picture by Farhan Najib

This time, we were greeted by Wong Ha Ha, one of five co-owners of the 13.8-hectare land. The former operator of the campsite has since gone missing, Wong said as he led us into the ground dotted by dilapidated buildings that were missing their doors, windows and roofs.

Despite the rain and sun, some faded papers remained on the bare walls — a sign that they used to house a clinic, dormitories and storerooms. Wong explained that the buildings’ fixtures were all taken by liquidators, but they did not even bother to clear the land, so the five of them cannot even re-develop the tract.

“All the damaged buildings there look like a post-war scene. It’s like a wasteland now,” Wong told Malay Mail.

“We have checked the prices for the land clearing and it cost hundreds of thousands of ringgit. Who is going to pay for that? The land is not small,” he asked.

Known in Malay as the Program Latihan Khidmat Negara, the programme was initiated by the Barisan Nasional (BN) government in 2003 — between the end of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s first term as prime minister, and the start of his successor Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

It was suspended in 2015 and then scrapped in 2018. There are now plans to revive it in its third reincarnation.

The abandoned buildings at the former Bukit Desa Rimba National Service (NS) camp in Sauk, Kuala Kangsar were left to ruin after the programme was halted in 2018. — Picture by Farhan Najib

In total, there were 81 campsites hosting the PLKN before its abolishment in 2018. Some of those were turned into satellite prisons while others became Immigration detention centres or used for the Resident Reintegration Programme involving former convicts.

Over in East Malaysia, those near state borders were turned into Army regiment camps.

However, there are also those that were abandoned like the ones Malay Mail visited in Perak.

Former National Service Camp Operators Association president Mohd Rawi Mohd Arof said one camp in Perlis became a squatting area for undocumented migrants after it was left abandoned.

“Later on the owner of the campsite told me that there were drug users who inhabited the property. The owner said it was quite overrun with migrants and drug users, to the point that he had to disassociate himself from the premise, fearing that it could tarnish his reputation as a businessman.

Similarly, Mohd Rawi said a campsite in Penur, Pahang was abandoned as it could not get consent from the land owner to convert it into a satellite prison.

“Because the campsite operator could not get approval to convert the land-use permission for a satellite prison, he had to leave the campsite abandoned.

“Such a huge land, and before you know it, the building was badly vandalised as fixtures such as air-conditioning units and fans were stolen, even toilet bowls were not spared,” he said.

Former National Service Camp Operators Association president Mohd Rawi Mohd Arof said most of the operators were already saddled with debts from renovation costs throughout the years between 2004 and 2018 to follow changing requirements — and therefore are unable to fork out more funds to repurpose the campsites. — Picture by Choo Choy May

Why were the campsites abandoned before?

Mohd Rawi said a major factor behind why the campsites were abandoned was that they were built following certain requirements given by the previous administration so they could host the PLKN.

He said most of the operators were already saddled with debts from renovation costs throughout the years between 2004 and 2018 to follow changing requirements — and therefore are unable to fork out more funds to repurpose the campsites.

“These campsites were located all over the country, some which are nearer to the river they could at least have the option to convert it into a resort, but for those located in the jungle and various other isolated areas, they are not able to use them for anything else,” he said.

For example, he said only eight sites could be salvaged as satellite prisons since they were near the main prisons in the first place — which had then became overflowed during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Not every campsite could meet these criteria, and the government only wanted a limited number as well. Thirteen was the initial number, I think at the time the government wanted one in each state,” Mohd Rawi said.

Even then, he told of a camp which could be converted into a satellite prison but was not cleared to do so by the state government since it was located in a resort area.

Mohd Rawi said there are 56 camps currently left vacant since the owners could not afford to repurpose them.

“When we met Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in a passing conversation he said, why don’t the camp operators rear buffaloes? But where are we supposed to find money to buy buffaloes?” he said, relating the meeting during Dr Mahathir’s second run as prime minister in 2018.

In February this year, 28 out of the 56 camp operators filed a suit against the Malaysian government alleging a breach of the contract over the 2018 termination. The first case management took place in March.

In their statement of claim, the operators said they suffered losses of rental fees for 27 months between October 2018 and December 2020, amounting to RM108.737 million.

They are now seeking a court declaration for Clause 36 of the main contract to be declared void, the loss of payment reimbursed, and wasted expenditure and damages to be assessed by the court.

General shot of PLKN Kuala Kubu Baru in Selangor, May 2, 2024. — Picture by Shafwan Zaidon

Glimmer of hope with PLKN 3.0?

In Kuala Kubu Baru, Selangor, the Ampang Pechah camp is only a few kilometres’ scenic drive away from town, situated near other institutions such as Institut Kemahiran Belia Negara (IKBN) and Maktab Rendah Sains Mara (MRSM).

According to its operator, it had lost close to RM3 million after its contract was terminated. However, it has seen better days compared to others.

The camp site spanning an area of five to seven hectares was clean and sufficiently maintained compared to others, as it is used 11 to 12 times a year for other parties to carry out their activities, despite having some faded signage and some old facilities.

According to the current campsite manager, Muhamad Nazri Mustapa, the camp operated by the state-owned foundation Yayasan Selangor had previously hosted motivational camps before the PLKN was introduced in 2003.

“When PLKN was introduced, Yayasan Selangor got the contract via an open tender. The participants were placed in a separate building.

“In 2011, the contract was terminated. We were not quite sure exactly why the contract was terminated, but from what I was told it could likely be due to the state government being under the Opposition,” Muhamad Nazri said.

In 2008, BN lost the Selangor state government to the then-Opposition coalition Pakatan Rakyat (PR).

PR held the state government for two terms, and its successor Pakatan Harapan (PH) then took over Putrajaya in 2018. PH is currently part of the federal government coalition.

In total, there were 81 campsites hosting the PLKN before its abolishment in 2018. Some of those were turned into satellite prisons while others became Immigration detention centres or used for the Resident Reintegration Programme involving former convicts. — Picture by Shafwan Zaidon

“The campsite is still in good condition, we only use it when we have overflowing participants from our motivational camp programme participants.

“They will use the PLKN campsite as it has good facilities including flying fox, rafting and a big field, among others,” Muhamad Nazri said.

In 2015, then-prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak suspended the PLKN following a drop in government revenue triggered by plunging global oil prices. He said the move would help save the government RM500 million.

The programme would be revived as PLKN 2.0 in 2016, but was again discontinued in 2018 under the Pakatan Harapan administration. Last year, the Anwar administration said it would return as PLKN 3.0.

A survey earlier this year found that over two in three respondents agreed with reviving the PLKN, with 74 per cent agreeing that the programme would have a positive effect on society.

With PLKN 3.0 in the works, Muhamad Nazri urged the government to revisit existing campsites which are still in good condition to host the new programme.

“When Yayasan Selangor took in PLKN participants, the money it received from the government was channelled back to its education programmes for students in Selangor.

“So when its contract was terminated, not to say that Yayasan Selangor lost their income, but it was less one channel to raise funds for the foundation,” he said.

Wong also shared the sentiment, saying without the clearing works the owners cannot proceed with any activities on the Kuala Kangsar land such as farming or even breeding animals.

“Nobody else wants to buy the land due to the damaged facilities. The buyers are worried of the additional cost they need to spend to clear the land.

“We hope the government can help us by leasing it again for other projects or help us set up farms or plantations,” he said.

This is Part 2 of Malay Mail’s feature on the fate of former National Service Training Programme (PLKN) campsites. Read Part 1 here: Two decades and two revivals later, National Service camp operators say knee-deep in debt from changing requirements