KUALA LUMPUR: Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris will become the first public university to implement the National Service Training Programme 3.0 starting in mid-2026.
National Service Training Department director-general Major General Datuk Ya’cob Samiran confirmed the programme would expand to three polytechnics and Teacher Education Institutes nationwide next year.
He revealed the programme received a 250 million ringgit allocation under the 2026 Budget to fund its pilot phase before nationwide implementation by 2027.
“We plan to start at UPSI in June or July next year,“ he told reporters after attending the PLKN 3.0 Female Shooting Training Session at Perdana Camp in Sungai Besi.
The PLKN 3.0 module will be integrated into university curricula as a compulsory subject for new students enrolling from next year.
“For students enrolling from next year or those born after 2008, the programme will be mandatory as part of their academic requirements, particularly under the nationhood subject,“ he said.
Students who previously participated in military programmes like the Officer Training Reserve Corps will be exempt from the basic military training module.
Ya’cob explained PLKN 3.0 would focus on three key modules covering nationhood, leadership, and basic military training.
“The modules are designed to instill national pride, leadership skills, and an understanding of basic military principles, helping participants become responsible citizens,“ he said.
The first 2026 PLKN 3.0 session will run from January to March for trainees aged 17 to 25 selected through computerised ballot or voluntary registration.
Ya’cob announced 11 PLKN camps would operate nationwide in 2026 including a new facility at Syed Sirajuddin Camp in Gemas, Negeri Sembilan.
Two additional camps are scheduled to open in 2027 to support the programme’s expansion. – Bernama