Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan

Dato’ Abu Bakar Abdullah“NS is not a militaryintensivetrainingprogramme. It is not arecruitment programmefor our military in times ofwar. It has been designedto ensure our youth areversatile in any givenenvironment. It has alsobeen designed to ensurewe develop and imbuecharacter in our leaders oftomorrow”The vision of the programme remains — the essence for what will contribute tothe makings of a stronger Malaysia. The ministry is working hard on enhancing thequality of the programme each year. Through NS, Malaysia hopes to mould futureleaders of high self-esteem who would be well-exposed and rounded.Academic qualifications alone will not determine success. They must be augmentedwith strength of character, resilience and versatility. The Government places muchfocus and hope on our young.The quality of human capital today is not just defined by qualification but bycharacter, skills, talents, ingenuity, oratory, emotional quotient and intelligence, toname a few.The great arise out of small things that are honoured and cared for. The paradoxis that the foundation for greatness is the honouring of small things today insteadof pursuing ideas of greatness.In the instance of a nation, its greatness lies in honouring its youth, in equippingits children for tomorrow’s realities. Like Rome, the greatness of Malaysia will bedefined by how much we invest today in our youth. Only when we gain strengthin our nation, will prosperity ensue.87